TRADE AND INDUSTRY

British Coal (Equal Value Pay Claim)

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will place in the Library a copy of the agreement reached between her Department and the National Union of Mineworkers in April on the equal value pay claim of ex-British Coal women workers; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: holding answer 19 November 2001
	I have today placed in the Library of the House a copy of the letter of the Minister for Energy and Competitiveness in Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member for Neath (Peter Hain) of 23 April to the President of the National Union of Mineworkers setting out the details of the agreement reached on 9 April.

Regulations

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will introduce targets for reducing the number of regulations issued by her Department over the next four years and for consequent financial savings.

Patricia Hewitt: The DTI keeps the regulations for which it is responsible under constant review and welcomes the comments of stakeholders on them. There are no plans to introduce numerical targets for the reduction of regulations.
	The Government's policy is to regulate only when necessary, ensuring that regulations are fair and effective, so that they protect the vulnerable but do not stifle competitiveness or productivity. New processes including the Regulatory Reform Act 2001 give us powerful tools to help cut down over-complex, overlapping and over- burdensome regulatory regimes.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has asked all Whitehall Departments to identify by the end of this year areas of legislation that are ripe for reform under the Act and other procedures. A Government-wide action plan will then be published containing firm commitments to specific reforms and initiatives which will aid both businesses and the public sector.

Regulations

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many regulations were introduced by her Department in each year since May 1997.

Patricia Hewitt: Figures for the number of statutory instruments introduced each year are as follows (year from 1 April in each case, save 1997, where the figures run from May 1997 to 31 March 1998):
	1997–98: 76 regulations
	1998–99: 112 regulations
	1999–2000: 172 regulations
	2000–01: 127 regulations
	2001 to date: 43 regulations.
	Of these 530 regulations, we estimate that 9 per cent. reduced costs borne by businesses, charities and voluntary bodies, while over 75 per cent. had little or no effect on costs for businesses, voluntary bodies, and charities. Over 30 per cent. of all the regulations introduced by DTI since May 1997 have been orders licensing firms to provide public telecommunications services, increasing consumer choice and competition in this sector.
	Regulatory Impact Assessments (Compliance Cost Assessments for measures introduced before August 1998) have been completed in respect of all measures imposing or reducing costs and placed in the Libraries of the Houses.

Departmental Promotions

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much her Department spent on information literature, advertising and campaign material in the financial years (a) 1995–96, (b) 1996–97, (c) 1997–98, (d) 1998–99 (e) 1999–2000 and (f) 2000–01; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: For expenditure on information literature, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North Tayside (Pete Wishart) on 17 October 2001, Official Report, column 1225W. Expenditure on advertising, excluding VAT through the COI has been as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1995–96 1,086,410 
			 1996–97 3,087,350 
			 1997–98 2,475,705 
			 1998–99 14,154,738 
			 1999–2000 12,620,476 
			 2000–01 12,159,710 
		
	
	Expenditure on campaign materials is not held centrally.

Euro

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funds are available from the (a) EU and (b) UK Government to compensate the (i) industrial and (ii) service sector in Britain for losses caused by the weakness of the euro; and how much has been paid, by industry and service, for each of the last three periods for which figures are available.

Patricia Hewitt: No such funds are available from either Her Majesty's Government or the EU. No payments have therefore been made.

Equal Pay

Barbara Follett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she has taken to encourage employers and trade unions to work in partnership to achieve equal pay.

Alan Johnson: The pay gap is now 18 per cent. for full-time hourly earnings. This has halved from 37 per cent. since the introduction of the Equal Pay Act in 1970 and is the smallest gap recorded, but is still far too high.
	We have announced extra funding for the Equal Opportunities Commission to prepare a model for voluntary pay reviews and will encourage employers and trade unions to take up this and other tools. To encourage partnership working generally between employers and trade unions, the Government have several initiatives including the Partnership at Work Fund. Applications for grant are currently being sought and could include projects looking to use partnerships to achieve equal pay.
	More generally, the Government are taking a range of actions to improve the operation of the labour market and, in doing so, the position of women. For example, about 900,000 women have benefited from the introduction of the national minimum wage in 1999, and this measure has helped to reduce the pay gap by over one percentage point. The Employment Bill placed before Parliament earlier this month provides for equal pay questionnaires and improved maternity rights, and the Government have accepted each of the recommendations made by the Work and Parents Taskforce on how a duty can be placed on employers to consider seriously requests from parents of young children to work flexibly.

BNFL

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the purchase price paid by BNFL for each of the companies acquired in the US since 1990 was.

Brian Wilson: BNFL has informed me that BNFL Business Group has purchased five companies in the US since 1990:
	January 1995—Pajarito Scientific Corporation (now BNFL Instruments Inc.) for £3 million;
	December 1997—Manufacturing Sciences Corporation for £2 million;
	March 1998—Sierra Nuclear Corporation for £2 million;
	March 1999—Westinghouse Electric Company LLC for £607 million; and
	April 2000—nuclear power business of ABB for £291 million.

BNFL

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the annual throughput capacity is of the Sellafield MOX plant; and what the original design capacity was.

Brian Wilson: This is commercially sensitive information.

BNFL

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the final cost of the Sellafield MOX plant constructed by BNFL was.

Brian Wilson: In BNFL's latest published annual report and accounts SMP is identified as a tangible asset in the course of construction with a carrying value of £462 million. This value was based on the assumption that there would be a positive decision on justification of the manufacture of MOX and that plutonium commissioning of the plant would proceed.

BNFL

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) profit and (b) loss of BNFL Inc has been in each year since the company was established.

Brian Wilson: This is a commercial matter for BNFL.
	As a US subsidiary BNFL Inc is not required to report annual profit and loss details as is required by BNFL plc in the UK. BNFL Inc is part of BNFL plc's Nuclear Clean Up and Decommissioning Business Group for which segmental information is published in BNFL's annual report and accounts.

BNFL

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value is of overseas contracts won by BNFL since 1990 for (a) reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, (b) shipping spent nuclear, vitrified waste and MOX fuel and (c) manufacturing MOX fuel.

Brian Wilson: This is a commercial matter for BNFL. Information about the financial performance of BNFL's spent fuel management business can be found in the company's annual report and accounts.

Atomic Energy Police Force

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many Atomic Energy police have (a) transferred to the police service and (b) been made redundant in each of the last three years; and what plans she has to merge the Atomic Energy police force and the MOD police force.

Brian Wilson: Eight officers resigned from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) constabulary to take up appointment in other police forces in the last three years and four in the calendar year 2001 so far, two in 2000 and two in 1999. No officers have been made redundant over this period. The Quinquennial Review of UKAEA has considered a range of options for the future of the UKAEA constabulary including options involving working more closely with the MOD police force. An announcement will be made in due course.

Atomic Energy Police Force

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost was of operating the Atomic Energy police force in the last 12 months; and how many Atomic Energy police officers are employed.

Brian Wilson: The cost of operating the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority constabulary for the financial year 2000–01 was £21.1 million. There are currently 515 officers employed in the force.

Financial Assistance (Blackpool, North and Fleetwood)

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) financial investment and (b) other assistance the North West Regional Development Agency has put into Blackpool, North and Fleetwood in each of the last three years.

Alan Johnson: The North West Development Agency is not able to provide the information in precisely the form requested as the Blackpool Challenge Partnership, which handles the Agency's Single Regeneration Budget investment in the town, cuts across constituency boundaries. During the last three years, investment in Blackpool via the Partnership has been as follows:
	
		£ million 
		
			 Year  
		
		
			 1998–99 3.9 
			 1999–2000 3.9 
			 2000–01 3.2 
		
	
	Investment for 2001–02 will be approximately £3.3 million.
	In addition, investment in Fleetwood has been as follows:
	
		£ thousands 
		
			 Year  
		
		
			 1998–99 514 
			 1999–2000 410 
			 2000–01 314 
		
	
	Investment for 2001–02 will be approximately £1.1 million.
	The Agency works closely with the borough councils in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood, and with other public and private sector partners, to provide advice and guidance on economic development and regeneration issues.

Unsolicited Marketing Material

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to prevent the practice by companies of sending unsolicited marketing material by fax to (a) businesses and (b) individuals.

Douglas Alexander: Arrangements for preventing the sending of unsolicited marketing material by fax to individuals are already in place. The Telecommunications (Data Protection and Privacy) Regulations 1999 ban the sending of unsolicited marketing faxes to private individuals and sole traders in the UK, as well as to partnerships in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
	The Regulations also establish an "opt-out" scheme—The Fax Preference Service (FPS)—for corporate subscribers who do not wish to receive such faxes.

Departmental Spending (Scotland)

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list, in real terms, for each year since 1979 (a) the total sums of money spent directly by her Department in Scotland and (b) the total sums of money allocated by her Department for spending in Scotland through (i) the Scottish Office, (ii) the Scotland Office and (iii) the Scottish Executive.

Alan Johnson: Public expenditure information by territory and function is available in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2001–02 (Cm 5101) for the years 1995–96 to 1999–2000, and earlier years are available in previous PESA publications (copies of which are in the Library of the House). Further information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Scottish Executive

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is regarding consultations prior to the publication of proposals involving the transfer of powers to the Scottish Executive by (a) primary legislation and (b) Order in Council.

Patricia Hewitt: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Scotland on 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 748W.

Sub-post Offices

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will discuss with the Chairman of Consignia the impact on (a) rural and (b) other local sub-post offices of the sale by major retailers of postage stamps at a discount to their face value; and if she will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Operational issues such as these are a matter for Consignia from whom I understand that, in addition to the post office network, over 65,000 retail outlets sell stamps. While stamps cannot be sold above their retail price, there is no restriction preventing retailers from selling stamps at less than face value.

Scottish Consumer Council

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made since 1999 of the effectiveness of the Scottish Consumer Council.

Patricia Hewitt: The National Consumer Council regularly monitors the performance of the SCC to ensure that it meets its performance and work-related objectives. The SCC, in its annual report, includes a report on its activities and how well it has achieved its objectives.
	In 1999 the Department carried out a thorough review of the role, objectives and performance of the NCC and its country committees, including the SCC. This was followed in late 2000 by a Governance review (completed early 2001) of the NCC. This review recommended changes to the NCC board and as a result a new board was appointed as of 1 October.

Textile Industry (World Trade Conference)

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the textile sector on the WTO talks.

Brian Wilson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry met the Director General of the British Apparel and Textiles Confederation and the General Secretary of the National Union of Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades on 19 October. The forthcoming Fourth WTO Ministerial meeting in Doha was among the issues discussed.

State Subsidies

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information she has collated, broken down (a) by member state and (b) by industry, on state subsidies currently authorised by the European Commission (i) annually and (ii) for the current year.

Brian Wilson: The information requested can be found on the European Commission website www.europa.eu.int. The website has the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Surveys on State Aid in the European Union. Copies of the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th surveys are already in the Libraries of the Houses. A copy of the 9th survey, which has recently issued and covers 1998–99, will also be placed in the Libraries of the Houses. The Commission is at present collating figures for 2000–01.

Utilities Act

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many statutory instruments have been laid before Parliament; and what ministerial guidance notes have been issued to implement the commitment in the Utilities Act 2000 on energy supplies from renewables.

Brian Wilson: Under section 67 of the Utilities Act 2000 the following statutory instruments (SIs) have been made:
	The Electricity from Non-Fossil Fuel Sources Saving Arrangements Order 2000 (S.I. 2000/2727)
	The Electricity from Non-Fossil Fuel Sources Saving Arrangements (Amendment) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/3268)
	The Electricity from Non-Fossil Fuel Sources (Scotland) Saving Arrangements Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/3269 (S.17)).
	These SIs ensure the preservation of arrangements which were made under section 32 of the Electricity Act 1989 to secure the availability of capacity from non-fossil fuel sources. It was necessary to take such measures on the coming into effect of the New Electricity Trading Arrangements and on the splitting of Public Electricity Suppliers into separate supply and distribution companies.
	Ministerial guidance notes have not been issued on these SIs, but they are accompanied by any necessary explanatory notes.
	It is proposed that further SIs will be made under section 62 of the Utilities Act 2000 in order to introduce the Renewables Obligation. Drafts of those SIs have recently been put out to statutory consultation and the Department is in the process of considering the responses given.
	It is also proposed to make a further SI under section 67 of the Utilities Act 2000 in order to permit locational flexibility for certain NFFO projects. A draft of this proposed SI is out for informal consultation.

Renewable Energy

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress in the (a) development of and (b) support for thin film solar photovoltaic renewable energy technology.

Brian Wilson: Thin film photovoltaic technology (largely amorphous silicon) currently accounts for about 20 per cent. of total world shipments of all PV products but its market share is increasing. Several countries and companies are investing heavily in research into and development of existing and new thin film technologies. Although thin film modules and tiles tend to be less efficient than the more established crystalline silicon products, they have the potential to be much cheaper, because they are more suited to automated processing and use much less of the basic PV material, such as silicon.
	In the UK, the Government have supported a number of research and development projects for thin film technologies, including several large projects with the UK's only thin film cell producer. The DTI is also supporting the deployment of thin film products under its Domestic Field Trials, and the recently announced Large Scale Field Trial for Public Buildings will be open to all PV technologies. Budgets for these trials amount to some £8.4 million. In addition to this the Government have allocated £20 million to the first phase of a major PV demonstration programme over the next two to three years.

Nuclear Security

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in (a) decommissioning redundant facilities and (b) decontamination of radioactively polluted land at the Dounreay nuclear site.

Brian Wilson: Dounreay is being decommissioned. In October 2000 UKAEA published the Dounreay Site Restoration Plan, a comprehensive blueprint for restoring the site. Most of the radioactive hazards will be removed over the next 25 years. The plan is available on the UKAEA website (http://www.ukaea.org.uk/sites/dounreay/ rplan.htm).
	Work is currently in progress on the Prototype Fast Reactor, the Dounreay Fast Reactor and redundant plants within the Fuel Cycle Area. New and upgraded facilities have also been commissioned for the management of wastes and discharges.
	The programme includes the decontamination of areas of land where low levels of radioactive contamination has occurred in the past. The majority of identified areas have already been decontaminated.

Nuclear Security

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in decommissioning the Windscale plutonium production piles at Sellafield; and what is her estimate of the cost of decommissioning these piles.

Brian Wilson: Both Piles are in a safe, stable condition and pose no threat to the public or the environment.
	Progress on decommissioning the Pile 1 and Pile 2 reactors is as follows:
	The air and water ducts of Pile 1 have been cleared and a contract for dismantling the core of the reactor for treatment and storage was awarded to a consortium in 1997. A comprehensive technical review is currently in progress to ensure that the project arrangements are robust before proceeding. Pile 2 is currently in safe care and maintenance pending decommissioning at a later stage.
	UKAEA's detailed cost estimates for decommissioning both Piles will be completed when the plans for their removal are finalised.

Universal Bank

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when a decision will be made on how many customers the Universal Bank should serve.

Douglas Alexander: Our policy is to encourage benefit recipients to use the accounts that will best meet their needs. This matter is being considered further within the context of an overall migration and marketing strategy on which detailed work is in progress.

No-fly Zones

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received about the establishment of no-fly zones around nuclear power stations.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 9 November 2001
	My officials and I have received a number of representations from hon. Members on behalf of their constituents, from the public, and from the nuclear industry. On 2 November, British Energy contacted my officials to raise concern about a recent number of flights over its nuclear power stations. In response to the concerns expressed, the system of flying restrictions over nuclear installations has now been extended to apply to all nuclear power plants with immediate effect. Restrictions were already in place for a number of nuclear installations.

Fair Trade

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her Department's policy is in relation to departmental spending for supplies concerning the purchase of Fair Trade goods.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 16 November 2001
	As my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development has stated, it is Government policy to promote fair trade products, subject of course to the need to obtain best value for money from public funds. In my own Department, for example, our caterers provide fair trade beverages.

Aggregates Levy

Ian Cawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what provision will be made to protect SMEs which are unable to pay the aggregates levy;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the ability of SMEs to fund the aggregates levy;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the effect of the aggregates levy on small and medium-sized companies.

Paul Boateng: holding answer 15 November 2001
	I have been asked to reply.
	A Regulatory Impact Assessment for the levy was published as part of Budget 2000. The aggregates levy will be payable only by those who commercially exploit aggregate.

DEFENCE

Operation Enduring Freedom

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 23 October 2001, Official Report, column 114W, to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker), on Operation Enduring Freedom, when he will place a copy of his letter in the Library.

Geoff Hoon: I expect to provide the information requested in due course.

Public Appointments

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many appointments he has made to public bodies since 7 June; and how many are in his gift.

Lewis Moonie: Information on the numbers of ministerial appointments to public bodies is included in the Cabinet Office's annual report, "Public Bodies". Copies of this are placed in the Library of the House and the report is published on the Cabinet Office internet website. The next edition of "Public Bodies", which will include numbers of appointments at 31 March 2001, will be published around the end of the year.
	Since the current edition of "Public Bodies" was published, the War Pensions Agency (and its 14 public bodies) has transferred to the Ministry of Defence, and we have re-classified two existing committees as non- departmental public bodies (the Nuclear Research Advisory Committee and the Advisory Group on Medical Countermeasures). As a result, MOD currently sponsors 33 non-departmental public bodies, with a total of 423 public appointments. Since 7 June 2001, 31 appointments have been made to these bodies.

Sovereign Bases

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions the Government have had with the Commission for Racial Equality concerning the applicability of the Race Relations Act 1976 to service personnel serving on sovereign bases outside the European Union.

Adam Ingram: There have been no such discussions to date.

Sovereign Bases

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will amend the UK armed forces policy statements on equal opportunities to make it clear that service personnel serving wholly on sovereign bases outside the European Union are not covered by the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Sex Discrimination Act 1975.

Adam Ingram: The armed forces policy statements on equal opportunities are kept under review and will be updated if necessary once the legal position for service personnel serving on sovereign bases outside the European Union is clarified.
	In addition I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 8 November 2001, Official Report, column 380W.

Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Warfare

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many S10 NBC suits his Department has in stock and what is the average life expectancy from first use.

Adam Ingram: The current in-service NBC suit is the Mk4. There are sufficient stocks of the suit to meet defence planning assumptions. I am withholding the information relating to specific quantities under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
	The Mk4 NBC suit has a shelf life, vacuum packed, of eight years. Once unpacked, the suit remains operational for 28 days. In adverse biological and chemical environmental conditions this time would be considerably reduced.

Defence Academy

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) academic and (b) military staff are employed at the Defence Academy.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 16 November 2001
	It is expected that in April 2002, the Defence Academy will employ some 190 academic and 280 military staff. The academy will also employ some 240 Ministry of Defence civil servants and 740 contractors' staff. Apart from the head of the academy and his personal staff, the small HQ support staff will be found from within current resources of the existing colleges.

Defence Academy

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  to which top level budget holder in his Department the head of the Defence Academy reports;
	(2)  what is the administrative and budgetary relationship between the head of the Defence Academy, the Commandant of RMC Shrivenham, the Commandant of the Joint Service Command and Staff College and the Commandant of the Doctrine Centre.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 16 November 2001
	The Head of the Academy will be responsible and accountable to the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff for the work and development of the Academy. He will manage the academy's budget, for which he will be accountable directly to the joint managers of the Ministry of Defence Central Top Level Budget. The components of the Defence Academy such as RMCS Shrivenham and the Joint Services Command and Staff College will become cost centres of the academy and will report financially to the Head of the Academy. The Joint Doctrine and Concepts Centre will not be a part of the Defence Academy and will continue to report to the Policy Director.

Widows' Pensions

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to review the pension entitlement of those second wives of ex-servicemen who become widows who are not entitled to a pension.

Adam Ingram: The Government have no plans to increase the current Armed Forces Pension Scheme provisions for post retirement widows. Following longstanding practice, improvements to the armed forces and other public sector pension schemes do not apply retrospectively.

Airport Security

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what analysis of the threats to UK airports requiring military protection he has made; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Security at airports is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. The threat of a terrorist attack on UK airports is constantly monitored by the appropriate authorities. There are, in place, a series of robust measures and contingency plans to guard against a range of different threats. These include the provision of military support, should it be required. These plans have been reviewed in the light of events of 11 September.

Major Project Report

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish the Defence Acquisition 2001 report.

Lewis Moonie: I assume the hon. Member is referring to the Major Project Report (MPR).
	The Ministry of Defence's annual progress report on the acquisition of major defence equipment, the MPR, was submitted to the Committee of Public Accounts in October. The Comptroller and Auditor General plans to publish his report on this year's MPR on 23 November.

Logistic Stockholding Review

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the criteria which have shaped the review of the logistic stockholdings following 11 September.

Adam Ingram: Logistic stockholdings are reviewed on a regular basis to take account of experience gained during exercises and operations, and to ensure maximum efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, more formal reviews of logistic planning are conducted from time to time in the light of the strategic military and political situation. The most recent review was considered over a 12 month period that ended last month. Though September 11 has not led to any further formal general reviews, in keeping with sound military practice logistic plans and availability have been carefully considered as an integral part of military response planning.

Anti-tank Weapons

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will announce the replacement to the proposed Trigat anti-tank guided weapon programme.

Lewis Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Grantham and Stamford (Mr. Davies) on 17 July 2001, Official Report, column 148W.

Cyprus (Migrant Birds)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken to prevent the illegal trapping of migrant birds in the sovereign base areas within Cyprus; if he will make more resources available to control this activity; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) Administration and Police already devote significant resources to the control of illegal trapping of migrant birds. In this autumn's migration season wardens from the Republic of Cyprus's Game Service have joined the SBA Police in a number of large scale patrols, involving up to forty officers, while the SBA Police have carried out smaller anti-poaching patrols on an almost daily basis. Over 500 mist nets, nearly 300 limesticks and many other items of trapping equipment have been seized and will be destroyed. Nine people have been arrested and charged with trapping offences. They now face prosecution in the SBA Court, which can and does impose heavy fines for trapping offences. An extensive publicity campaign has been undertaken by the SBA Police in the Eastern Sovereign Base Area aimed at discouraging local people from engaging in trapping and spelling out the consequences if they are caught. This autumn's anti- trapping campaign has had a significant impact on the level of trapping activity in the Eastern Sovereign Base Area and the SBA Administration will pursue similar campaigns in the future.

Battlefield Light Utility Helicopter

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the battlefield light utility helicopter programme; and what is its in-service date.

Lewis Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 16 October 2001, Official Report, column 1140W.

Defence Aviation Repair Agency

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Chief Executive of DARA first met the First Secretary to discuss the relocation of the fixed wing aircraft repair business from RAF St. Athan to Cardiff International Airport.

Adam Ingram: The Defence Aviation Repair Agency records show that the Chief Executive of DARA first met with the First Secretary on 5 May 2000.

Afghanistan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the German Defence Minister on providing troops for the international coalition in Afghanistan.

Geoff Hoon: I have spoken with my German colleague on a number of occasions on a range of issues associated with the international response to the events of September 11, including options for the use of armed forces in support of the international coalition.

RAF St. Athan

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he is making of the siting of Army units at RAF St. Athan.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is looking at the possibility of locating two major Army units on the West Camp site after 2004. This is subject to further detailed study.

Veterans' Affairs

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 13 November 2001, Official Report, column 630W, if he will publish the terms of reference he has agreed on policy development for veterans' affairs.

Lewis Moonie: The terms of reference for the task force responsible for the development of our policy on veterans' affairs have now been published on the Ministry of Defence website "www.mod.uk", together with other information about the initiative. They can be found under Contacts—Veterans' Advice Unit. The terms of reference are as follows:
	To ensure that the policies of individual Government Departments and of devolved administrations are co-ordinated to produce a coherent and integrated response to veterans' needs and concerns.
	To identify and prioritise areas of particular need within the veterans' community and develop policies to address these as appropriate, focusing in particular on the most vulnerable.
	To improve co-operation between government and veterans' organisations, seeking to ensure that Government policies address the reasonable concerns of veterans and that the work of veterans' organisations is supportive of, or at least consistent with, government policies.
	To ensure that the Government's current support and future plans for veterans is effectively understood by them.
	To ensure that the contribution of ex-Service personnel is appropriately recognised at the national and the individual level within the country.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Adjournment Debates

Tom Cox: To ask the President of the Council if he will increase the time allocated for the Christmas, Easter and summer Adjournment debates.

Robin Cook: The introduction of Westminster Hall has greatly increased the number of Adjournment debates available, and, indeed, returned the pre- Adjournment debates to the Floor of the House.
	The Modernisation Committee may look at them when it examines the future of Westminster Hall, but I see no need for immediate change.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Public Appointments

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many appointments she has made to public bodies since 7 June; and how many are in her gift.

Clare Short: I have made no appointments to public bodies since 7 June. I have 21 appointments in my gift.

Albania (Child Welfare)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with the Albanian Government on their policies concerning the (a) welfare and (b) protection of children.

Clare Short: We have assisted the Government of Albania with the preparation of its recently completed poverty reduction strategy and with the complementary process of developing a Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). The poverty reduction strategy includes targets to reduce infant mortality and improve school enrolment. The MTEF has already led to increased Government spending on health and education.
	We are responding to these policies by supporting several projects that have both direct and indirect benefits for children, from our bilateral programme of £3 million per year. These include a £2 million project to reform social service delivery and to target resources better, including services for children; help for reforms to policy development, planning and financing of health care; and a project to improve rural livelihoods in the poorest rural communities.
	We are also contributing £4.3 million to the EU programme for Albania in 2001, which includes measures that benefit children and their protection, such as local community development and strengthening of policing and public order.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Decommissioning

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assurances he can give that the stockpiles of IRA weapons and explosives have not been transferred into the possession of the Real IRA and Continuity IRA.

Jane Kennedy: I receive daily reports on the security situation from my security advisers and would be advised of any information that came to light indicating that IRA arms had been passed on to dissident republican groups.
	The international arms inspectors, Martti Ahtisaari and Cyril Ramaphosa, had stated in their reports that the arms dumps they inspected had not been tampered with and remained secure. Subsequently we have had actual decommissioning of IRA weapons.

Decommissioning

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about future acts of decommissioning; and by what date he expects the process of decommissioning to be completed.

Jane Kennedy: Future decommissioning events are a matter for the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning and the representatives of the various paramilitary organisations.
	Decommissioning is only one part of the Good Friday Agreement of which we can now say that implementation of every aspect is underway. Full implementation of the Good Friday agreement in all its aspects is a task that will take some time to accomplish.

Decommissioning

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what age and in what condition the illegally held weapons and explosives were which were decommissioned by the IRA; and if they can be quantified according to type;
	(2)  what quantities of weapons and explosives have been decommissioned by the IRA (a) under the Good Friday Agreement and (b) under the decision on 23 October to engage in decommissioning; and by what means IRA weapons and explosives were decommissioned.

Jane Kennedy: The Independent International Commission on Decommissioning stated in their report that they have witnessed an event in which the IRA has put a quantity of arms completely beyond use. They confirm the material in question includes arms, ammunition and explosives.
	That also means that under paragraph 11 of the decommissioning scheme made in August 2001, the Commission has taken a record of the arms decommissioned and has verified the information on that record, although it is the Commission's judgment on this occasion, that such information must remain confidential.
	The Government and all of the pro-Agreement parties have said throughout the process that the details of the actual process should be left to the Decommissioning Commission.
	The Government accept the integrity of the Commission's judgment.

Decommissioning

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the percentage of the IRA's arsenal which has been put beyond use.

Jane Kennedy: The Independent International Commission on Decommissioning reported on 23 October that it had witnessed a quantity of IRA arms being put beyond use according to the terms of the decommissioning schemes and regulations. However, in the interest of furthering the process of putting all arms beyond use, the Commission declined to provide further details. Accordingly, it has not been possible to assess the percentage of the provisional IRA's weaponry involved.
	The Commission's mandate under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement is to facilitate the decommissioning of all paramilitary arms. The Government have every confidence in General de Chastelain and his colleagues and respects their wishes on how best to proceed to fulfil their mandate.

WORK AND PENSIONS

DHSS Leaflets

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library copies of the DHSS leaflets NP32 and NP27 dating from 1983.

Ian McCartney: Copies of the DHSS leaflets are not routinely held by the Department for Work and Pensions and any which were current in 1983 may have been discontinued or subsumed into other leaflets. However, we have obtained copies of ones which were current in 1983 and they have been placed in the Library.

Public Servants (Assaults)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many members of staff working in (a) benefit offices and (b) jobcentres were assaulted while at work in (i) 1999–2000 and (ii) 2000–01.

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many reported incidents of an aggressive nature against Benefits Agency workers there were in each of the past five years for (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland.

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many attacks on Benefits Agency staff were recorded in each year since 1997; and how many successful prosecutions were brought against the perpetrators of such attacks;
	(2)  how many assaults on Benefits Agency staff were (a) recorded last year and (b) recorded in each of the previous years since 1997.

Nick Brown: The information available is in the tables. The information requested on the number of successful prosecutions is not available.
	The increase in the number of reported incidents in 2000 can be attributed to awareness raising activities with Benefits Agency staff about the importance of reporting incidents and to a poster issued by the PCS Union advising staff that all incidents of customer aggression should be reported.
	
		Benefits Agency
		
			Total assaults  
			 Year  Physical assaults Non-physical assaults England Scotland Wales 
		
		
			 1997 100 3,426 2,959 278 289 
			 1998 41 3,092 2,579 313 241 
			 1999 98 2,357 2,071 186 198 
			 2000 163 5,144 4,467 398 442 
			 2001(1) 92 3,567 2,990 283 386 
		
	
	
		Employment Service
		
			  1999(4) 2000 2001(1) 
		
		
			 Number of staff reporting a physical assault 166 232 166 
			 Number of staff reporting a non-physical assault 2,530 4,146 2,850 
			 Total number of reports received(2) 2,696 4,378 3,016 
			 Total number of incidents occurring(3) 2,481 4,044 2,729 
		
	
	(1) Information to date. These figures are based on the reports so far received; other incidents may have occurred but may not yet have been reported.
	(2) This figure represents the number of individual reports completed.
	(3) This figure relates to the number of individual incidents that have occurred. This number is lower than the number of reports as several individuals can report the same incident if they feel that they have been a victim of it.
	(4) The figures shown for the Employment Service for 1999 record the number of incidents that occurred between April and December. Prior to this date the information was collated on a separate database which did not provide data in compatible categories. During the period January to March 1999, 1,115 reports were filed and 1,106 incidents occurred but these figures include 'other' incidents between clients where no staff were involved.

New Deal

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the long-term unemployed in the pilot areas for the new deal for the long-term unemployed found (a) jobs and (b) sustained jobs in (i) each of the three years prior to the inception of the new deal pilots and (ii) in each year since their inception.

Nick Brown: In the new deal 25-plus pilots, the proportion of long-term unemployed participants who left the programme for sustained jobs was 33 per cent. in 1999 and 34 per cent. in 2000 and 2001 to date. Equivalent figures for years prior to the new deal 25-plus pilots are not available. However, evaluation of the new deal 25-plus pilots showed that long-term unemployed participants were over 70 per cent. more likely to move into work than those participating in the pre-April 2001 national programme.

New Deal

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people joined the voluntary section option of the new deal for young people between July 1999 and October 2001; and how many of these (a) completed their course before leaving the new deal and (b) left their course before completing the new deal;
	(2)  how many people have joined the (a) Environmental Task Force option, (b) the subsidised employment option and (c) the voluntary sector option of the new deal since implementation; and how many and what percentage of these (i) completed their programme before leaving the new deal, (ii) left their programme before completing it and (iii) left at any stage for unknown destinations;
	(3)  how many people joined the Environmental TaskForce option of the new deal for young people between July 1999 and October 2001; and how many of these (a) completed their course before leaving the new deal and (b) left their course before completing the new deal.

Nick Brown: The latest results for the new deal for young people are contained in the Statistical First Release which is available in the Library. Information on numbers completing options is not available.

New Deal

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many benefit sanctions were imposed on participants in the New Deal for Young People in each year since its introduction (a) nationally and (b) by region, broken down into each of the four options.

Nick Brown: The information requested is published in the Employment Service Labour Market Statistics: Analysis of Sector Decision Making, copies of which are available in the Library.

New Deal

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will answer the question (No. 7981) of 8 October from the hon. Member for Hertsmere concerning the number of persons on the new deal for young people recruited by Government Departments.

Nick Brown: holding answer 19 November 2001
	I answered the question on Monday 19 November 2001.

New Deal

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on (a) the number of participants in the new deal for young people from the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency in the last 12 months, (b) the destination of people leaving the scheme and (c) the cost involved.

Nick Brown: The information is in the tables:
	
		Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency
		
			  Month Number of new deal for young people participants 
		
		
			 2000  
			 August 509 
			 September 491 
			 October 477 
			 November 459 
			 December 447 
			 2001  
			 January 454 
			 February 459 
			 March 448 
			 April 430 
			 May 417 
			 June 414 
			 July 400 
			 August 352 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are for the end of each month and are the latest available.
	Source:
	New Deal Evaluation Database.
	
		Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland East, constituency
		
			 Destination on leaving the new deal for young people Number of clients 
		
		
			 Unsubsidised employment 656 
			 Other benefits 224 
			 Other known destinations 331 
			 Not known 393 
			  
			 Total leavers 1,604 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are cumulative to the end of August 2001.
	Source:
	New Deal Evaluation Database.
	Estimates of the cost of the programme are not available at constituency level.

Appeals Service

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much additional funding was awarded to the Appeals Service relating to the increase in Disability Living Allowance appeals in 2000–01.

Maria Eagle: The Appeals Service was awarded an additional £2.809 million for 2000–01 in respect of disability appeals. This represents the total for Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance combined, where funding is provided by tribunal type rather than benefit.

Employment Service

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the Employment Service job entries of people who are included within the Welfare to Work definition in 2000–01, with reference to the annual performance agreement target;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the number of jobless people helped into work by the Employment Service in 2000–01, with reference to the annual performance agreement target;
	(3)  if he will make a statement on Employment Service job entries of people with disabilities in 2000–01, with reference to the annual performance agreement target;
	(4)  if he will make a statement on Employment Service job entries of (a) New Deal and (b) Employment Zone participants in 2000–01, with reference to the annual performance agreement target.

Nick Brown: The information is contained in the Employment Service Annual Report and Accounts 2000–01, which is in the Library.

Employment Service

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the public service agreement targets were for the Employment Service placings of the New Deal for (a) lone parents and (b) young people participants in 2000–01; and if they were achieved;
	(2)  what efficiency savings were achieved by the Employment Service in (a) 1999–2000 and (b) 2000–01; and if these savings met the public service agreement target;
	(3)  what the public service agreement targets were in 2000–01 for the Employment Service placings into work of (a) people with disabilities, (b) jobseeker's allowance claimants unemployed more than six months and (c) unemployed people; and if they were achieved.

Nick Brown: The information is contained in the Employment Service Annual Report and Accounts 1999–2000 and 2000–01, which are in the Library.

Social Exclusion

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on his policy towards the establishment of a Community action plan to combat social exclusion at EU level.

Malcolm Wicks: A five-year EU action programme to encourage co-operation between member states to combat social exclusion is expected to be formally adopted shortly and to come into force on 1 January 2002. This programme will include provision for financial support totalling 75 million euro to support:
	analysis of characteristics, processes, causes and trends in social exclusion;
	policy co-operation and exchange of information and best practices;
	participation of the various actors and support for networking at European level.
	The Government look forward to implementation of this action programme, which follows the framework set by the Lisbon European Council of March 2000.

Investors in People

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department applied for Investors in People; and if it has achieved it (a) in whole and (b) in part.

Nick Brown: holding answer 14 November 2001
	The Department for Work and Pensions is fully committed to Investors in People and is continuing to maintain the standard.
	All constituent parts of the Department are currently recognised as Investors in People. Officials are in discussion with Investors in People(UK), to agree a strategy for the future corporate recognition of the Department.

Attendance Allowance

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many self-funders in (a) residential and (b) nursing homes are in receipt of attendance allowance; and what assessment his Department has made of the survey of self-funders undertaken by the Department of Health.

Maria Eagle: holding answer 19 November 2001
	Estimates of the number of self-funders in residential care homes and nursing homes who are receiving attendance allowance are not available.

Work Incentives (Child Care)

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to improve incentives for those with children to work; and how many people have availed themselves of them (a) in Middlesbrough and (b) in Redcar and Cleveland in the last year for which figures are available.

Nick Brown: This Government believe that work is the best form of welfare for those who are able. We have introduced a wide range of measures including the Working Families Tax Credit to help make work pay and the National Childcare Strategy to help make work possible for people with children. Since April this year, lone parents can also get help with childcare payments if they take up part-time work through the New Deal for Lone Parents.
	We are also easing the transition to work through a range of benefit run-ons. Lone parents benefit run-on was introduced in 1999 and in the year 2000–01 helped over 50,000 lone parents nationally. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit run-ons have been available for a number of years and in 2000–01 were claimed by 140,000 people nationally. From April this year we have also introduced the Mortgage Interest run-on to help home owners moving from benefits to full time work. In the Middlesborough local authority district, 670 people claimed the Housing Benefit Run-on and 410 people claimed the Council Tax Run-on in 2000–01. Equivalent figures are not available for Redcar and Cleveland. The numbers of people taking advantage of other run-ons are not available broken down by area.

Winter Fuel Payments

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many older people will receive winter fuel payments this winter (a) in the UK and (b) in Middlesbrough South, and Cleveland, East.

Ian McCartney: Last winter, nationally, over 11 million people aged 60 and over received a Winter Fuel Payment. Around 18,000 of these were in Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East. The figures for this winter will be similar.

Social Security Fraud Act (Code of Practice)

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish a summary of the responses to the public consultation on the draft Code of Practice on obtaining information under the Social Security Fraud Act 2001.

Malcolm Wicks: A summary of the responses has been placed in the Library and copies have been sent to all those who responded.

Housing Estates Refurbishment (Leicestershire)

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the Beaumont Leys Stocking Farm scheme in Leicestershire; how many people obtained work as a result of the scheme; and what the cost was of the scheme.

Sally Keeble: holding answer 19 November 2001
	I have been asked to reply.
	The Leicester North West SRB 5 Programme, which covers five housing estates, including Beaumont Leys and Stocking Farm, was agreed by Ministers as part of the SRB programme. To date 29 jobs have created, along with other outputs such as refurbishment of community buildings, CCTV provision, improvement of local advice services, projects to reduce crime, vandalism, domestic violence, and assist vulnerable youngsters. The programme received £1.9 million in the last financial year.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

International Terrorism

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the membership of the coalition against International Terrorism and the contributions they are making.

Ben Bradshaw: States across the world expressed their sorrow and outrage at the dreadful events of 11 September and there has been widespread acceptance of the need for an international coalition to tackle terrorism. UN Security Council resolution 1373 was passed unanimously on 28 September. It is the first resolution to impose obligations on all states to respond to a global threat to international peace and security. It focuses on two key areas: to suppress the financing of terrorism and to deny terrorists a safe haven from which to operate. All UN member states are bound by UNSCR 1373 to take measures against international terrorism. The present military campaign directed at Osama bin Laden and the Taliban regime has the support of all NATO allies who agreed unanimously to invoke Article 5 (the collective self-defence commitment at the core of NATO). A wide range of other countries also back the military campaign. For operational reasons we cannot disclose details of that support.

Iraq

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representation he has received on the impact of sanctions on the access of Iraqi citizens to clean water; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: We regularly receive parliamentary and public correspondence on all aspects of sanctions on Iraq, including the water and sanitation sector.
	Since 1990, the UK has donated over £100 million od humanitarian aid to Iraq (including £5.5 million this year) for projects which include the rehabilitation of water and sanitation infrastructure. In addition, earlier this year the EU agreed a 13 million euro aid package for projects which include the provision of clean drinking water.
	By contrast, the Iraqi regime continues to hamper all aspects of the oil for food programme. At a time when around $2 billion lies unspent by Iraq in the UN escrow account, Iraq has, for example, cut spending in this sector by 18 per cent. in 2001 compared to last year. Iraq continues to refuse to allow UN officials to enter Iraq to dicuss a cash component for sectors identified by the UN Secretary-General as being critical, one of which is water and sanitation.

Iraq

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the performance of the oil for food policy regarding Iraq and the attitude of the Iraqi Government towards this policy.

Ben Bradshaw: The oil for food programme is the UN's largest humanitarian programme ever, worth some $12.5 billion last year alone. In his most recent report (September 2001), the UN Secretary-General concludes that the oil for food programme has made a considerable difference to the lives of ordinary Iraqis and, in spreading beyond the food and medicine sectors, to the rehabilitation of Iraq's civilian infrastructure.
	These achievements have been made despite the continuing efforts of the Iraqi regime to hamper the oil for food programme. For example, around $2 billion of funds lie unspent, by Iraq in UN accounts and the Iraqi Central Bank consistently holds up the delivery of around $1 billion-worth of goods. Iraq continues to refuse to allow UN Officials to enter Iraq to discuss a cash component for sectors identified by the UN Secretary-General as being critical, such as health, education and water sanitation.

Iraq

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussion he has had with the Iraqi Government on no-fly zones.

Ben Bradshaw: None.

Intelligence

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what provision he has made to increase intelligence on security matters since 11 September.

Jack Straw: It has long been the policy of this and previous Governments not to comment on details of intelligence and security matters. The events of 11 September, and the role of the intelligence and security agencies in responding to them, are being taken into account in considering their financial allocation.

Jordan

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had with King Abdullah of Jordan during his recent visit on (a) the middle east peace process, (b) terrorists living in Britain, (c) terrorism outside Britain, (d) Iraqi sanctions and (e) the present economic situation in Jordan.

Ben Bradshaw: The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary had talks with King Abdullah in London on 8 November. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary thanked the King for his leadership and determination in supporting the coalition against terrorism, agreed on the need to put the best humanitarian effort into dealing with the problems of displaced people and refugees and discussed how the international community could help reconstruct Afghanistan post-conflict. King Abdullah thanked the Prime Minister for his efforts during his travels throughout the middle east and the Islamic world to clarify the West's position that this is not a struggle between the West and Islam.
	The King and Prime Minister agreed the importance of moving forward the Middle East Peace process as quickly as possible. The Prime Minister praised King Abdullah's record of pushing for progress in that area. The King, Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary discussed the need to control Iraq's military capabilities, while minimising the effects on Iraqi citizens. They also discussed ways in which the UK could help Jordan to achieve its economic objectives through support of King Abdullah's economic reform programme and encouragement of inward investment. There was no discussion on the issue of terrorists in the UK.

Afghanistan

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made regarding the (a) religious make-up and (b) ethnic make-up of Afghanistan; and what is his policy on the role of each of the (i) religions and (ii) ethnic groupings within Afghanistan in a future Government of Afghanistan.

Ben Bradshaw: Afghanistan has an immensely complex social tapestry. That complexity has been increased by the disruption of almost 20 years of continual warfare involving the movement of population both within and out of the country and whose effects are not yet properly documented. Traditionally, the main communities have been described as Pashtun (c. 38 per cent.), Tajik (c. 25 per cent.), Hazara (c. 19 per cent.), Uzbek (c. 6 per cent.) with the balance being made up of a patchwork of smaller groups. About 99 per cent. of the population are Muslims divided between Sunni (c. 84 per cent.) and Shia (c. 15 per cent.) adherents: the Hazara constitute almost all the Shia population.
	The Government welcome the new UNSCR 1378 (2001) which sets out the international community's road map for a broad-based successor government to the Taliban regime, which should be multi-ethnic and fully representative of all the Afghan people.

Afghanistan

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times he has met the (a) Head of the Cabinet's Defence and Overseas Secretariat, Robert Cooper, and (b) UN special representative for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, since 11 September; and what was discussed during each of these meetings.

Ben Bradshaw: The Secretary of State met the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, several times at the recent UN General Assembly (including at the open Security Council meeting on 13 November). They discussed the UN's role in a post- Taliban Afghanistan.
	Robert Cooper, the UK Co-ordinator for the Future of Afghanistan, has met the Secretary of State frequently since the 11 September attacks (most recently on 19 November). They discussed all aspects of the crisis.

Afghanistan

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions he has discussed the prospect of a United Nations monitoring force for Afghanistan with the Government of Turkey; and what was discussed.

Ben Bradshaw: During his visit to Turkey on 17–18 October, the Secretary of State discussed a wide range of issues related to the current crisis with the Turkish Foreign Minister Cem. He has since met Foreign Minister Cem at the UN General Assembly on 12 November.

Afghanistan

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the coalition against terrorism's proposals for UN intervention in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: We and the US have strongly supported a UN role in Afghanistan. We welcome the new UN Security Council Resolution 1378 (2001), which was unanimously adopted on 14 November and sets out the international community's vision for the future of Afghanistan.
	Inter alia, the resolution outlined the principles that should govern the formation of a new administration in Afghanistan. It affirmed that the UN would play a central role in supporting the efforts of the Afghan people to establish such an administration. And it encouraged UN member states to support efforts to ensure the safety and security of areas of Afghanistan no longer under Taliban control, and in particular to ensure respect for Kabul as the capital for all Afghan people, and especially to protect civilians, transitional authorities, United Nations and associated personnel, as well as personnel of humanitarian organisations.
	We have also discussed with the UN Secretary- General and his Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi, a number of other proposals, including for possible UN roles in security, which might be appropriate at some stage.

Afghanistan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those countries that support the international coalition's actions in Afghanistan.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) today, Official Report, column 182W.

Afghanistan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the United Nations on the creation of a multi-national force to provide peacekeeping in Afghanistan.

Ben Bradshaw: During my visit to New York for the UN General Assembly from 10-16 November, I held consultations with the UN Secretary-General and his Special Representative for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, on the future of Afghanistan, including what possible security arrangements might be appropriate at some stage. We are fully supportive of Ambassador Brahimi's efforts to resolve these issues.

Afghanistan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the UN Security Council's role in relation to the international coalition's actions in Afghanistan.

Ben Bradshaw: In response to the 11 September attacks, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1368 (2001) on 12 September 2001, in which it stated that it would hold accountable those indirectly responsible—those who aid, support or harbour the perpetrators—as well as those directly responsible. This resolution also reaffirmed the right of self-defence, enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter. Coalition military action has been undertaken in self-defence to avert further terrorist attacks.
	We and the US both notified the Security Council of the action when it began in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.
	On 14 November, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1378 (2001), which sets out the international community's vision for the future of Afghanistan. Inter alia, the resolution encourages member states to support efforts to ensure the safety and security of areas of Afghanistan no longer under Taliban control, and in particular to ensure respect for Kabul as the capital for all the Afghan people, and especially to protect civilians, transitional authorities, United Nations and associated personnel, as well as personnel of humanitarian organisations.

Cluster Bombs

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent consultations he has had with (a) the United Nations and (b) the International Red Cross about the use of cluster bombs.

Ben Bradshaw: As part of the review process of the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, the UK co-sponsored a working paper proposing a way ahead for future work on explosive remnants of war, including cluster bombs. The UK will continue to participate actively in the UN as discussions develop, aiming to work together with EU partners and other States' parties, towards a practical solution that addresses humanitarian concerns while safeguarding the UK's military requirements. UK officials have also participated in discussions, about cluster bombs, with the International Committee of the Red Cross, in the context of consultations about the ICRC's proposals on explosive remnants of war.

The Gambia

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of preparations for the forthcoming parliamentary elections in The Gambia.

Ben Bradshaw: The Gambian Independent Electoral Commission is in the preliminary stages of planning for parliamentary elections to be held on January 17 2002. Similar arrangements to the October Presidential elections will be used, including the unique marble system of voting. The voter education campaign is not yet finalised, but will also follow a similar course to the Presidential election, where the turnout was high (89 per cent.). The British observing team found the Presidential election well organised, fair and transparent on the day. I hope that the Parliamentary elections will be conducted in a similar manner. The Independent Electoral Commission has told us it will invite all those who observed the Presidential election, and others, to observe the parliamentary elections.

Ballistic Missiles

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of existing international efforts to prevent ballistic missile proliferation, with particular reference to the MTCR; and what international plans there are to strengthen these efforts.

Ben Bradshaw: The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) has done a good job in countering the proliferation of missiles capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction through the co-ordination of the export controls of its 33 members. But it is not comprehensive in its membership or scope. The UK has therefore been active in the development of an International Code of Conduct (ICOC) against Ballistic Missile Proliferation. A draft text was agreed by MTCR members at their plenary meeting in Ottawa in September 2001, and will now be opened for wider negotiation. We hope the Code will become a universally accepted international agreement establishing global standards of practice in an area where currently there are none.

Nuclear Weapons

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he has made to the Russian suggestion to engage permanent members of the Security Council in negotiations on nuclear weapons reductions.

Ben Bradshaw: The Foreign Secretary has received no formal Russian proposal that Permanent Members of the Security Council should engage in negotiations on nuclear weapons reductions.

Arms Control (Outer Space)

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on arms control in outer space.

Ben Bradshaw: We are parties to the Outer Space Treaty and other treaties that place some important limitations on military activity in space, prohibiting the deployment of weapons of mass destruction in space and military activity on the moon and other celestial bodies. While we do not wish to see a general prohibition on the military use of outer space we do recognise that there are legitimate concerns about these issues and support further consideration of them within the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

Zimbabwe

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which places the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State visited during her recent visit to Zimbabwe with the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group; whom she met; and what discussions she has had since returning from the region.

Ben Bradshaw: My noble Friend Baroness Amos and the Commonwealth Committee visited Harare and toured two farms, one near Masvingo and one in Marondera in Mashonaland East. She met members of the Zimbabwe Government as well as groups and organisations representing chiefs, farmers, war veterans, ZANU(PF), the MDC, the churches, UNDP, NGOs, the media and the Electoral Supervisory Commission. Since the visit Baroness Amos has discussed Zimbabwe with Ministers from SADC countries and with senior US officials.

Correspondence

Tony Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter of 6 September from the hon. Member for Putney with regard to his constituent, Mr. M. Sandhu (GV100/69005/JS).

Ben Bradshaw: I am sorry that my hon. Friend did not receive my reply of 24 September to his letter of 6 September. Another copy was sent on 13 November.

Human Rights (Chechnya)

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Russian Government concerning human rights in Chechnya.

Peter Hain: The Secretary of State has raised the human rights situation in Chechnya with the Russian Foreign Minister on a number of occasions, most recently during his visit to Moscow on 31 October.

Diego Garcia (The Ilois)

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent meetings have been held with the US administration of Diego Garcia on the conditions relating to the return of the Ilois people to the islands; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: There have been no recent meetings with the US administration on this matter but it has been discussed once since my hon. Friend last asked this question on 26 April 2001, Official Report, columns 337–38W.

Western Sahara

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent meetings he has held with the Government of Morocco concerning their occupation of the Western Sahara.

Ben Bradshaw: We regularly discuss the issue of western Sahara with the Government of Morocco. I raised the issue during my visit to Morocco on 24 to 26 September.

Western Sahara

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what he expects the UN administration in the Western Sahara to name a date for a referendum on the future governance of the territory.

Ben Bradshaw: The UK supported United Nations Security Council resolution 1359, which was passed unanimously on 29 June 2001. This reiterated full support for the on-going efforts of MINURSO to implement the settlement plan and the agreements by the parties to hold a free, fair and impartial referendum for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.
	The United Nations Security Council resolution made no provision for setting a date for the referendum and at this stage we do not know when it will be possible to set such a date.
	The resolution does, however, reaffirm the UN's commitment to assist the parties in achieving a just and lasting solution to the question of the Western Sahara. The personal envoy of the Secretary-General is currently engaged in an attempt to resolve the dispute. The special envoy is discussing with the parties the draft framework agreement (as set out in the United Nations Secretary-General's report of June 2001) which may offer a mutually agreed political solution to the dispute. He has also discussed with the Polisario their proposals to overcome the obstacles faced in the settlement plan.

United Nations Security Council

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the proposal of the Japanese Government to expand membership of the Security Council.

Peter Hain: The UK is a strong advocate of Security Council reform, which is discussed at the Open-ended Working Group on Security Council Reform at the United Nations in New York. Since views differ widely on what the size and shape of the Security Council should be progress has been slow.
	Like Japan and a number of other countries, we support enlargement of the Security Council in both the permanent and non-permanent categories of membership. We believe that a Council along these lines could provide an acceptable balance between retaining effectivness and making the Council more representative of the modern world.

Gibraltar

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy not to accept at his meeting with his Spanish counterpart on 20 November proposals that (a) the Government and (b) the people of Gibraltar do not support.

Peter Hain: The Government stand by the commitment set out in the preamble to the 1969 Gibraltar Constitution that we will not enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar will pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes.
	The Foreign Secretary met Spanish Foreign Minister Pique for talks under the Brussels Process in Barcelona this morning. At the conclusion of the meeting, they issued the following statement.
	Brussels process Ministerial meeting on Gibraltar, 20 November, Barcelona
	Joint Press Communique
	Josep Pique i Camps, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom
	At our meeting today we confirmed our shared objective to continue our discussions about Gibraltar, in an atmosphere of trust and mutual co-operation, a commitment which Prime Minister Blair and Prime Minister Aznar endorsed when they met in London on 9 November. We are delighted that we are making good progress.
	We discussed the full range of issues set out in the November 1984 Brussels Communique. We did not want to draw conclusions today. Our aim is to conclude a comprehensive agreement by the summer of next year. This overall agreement will cover all outstanding issues, including those of co-operation and sovereignty.
	Our share objective is a future where Gibraltar enjoys greater self-government and the opportunity to reap the full benefits of normal co-existence with the wider region. The guiding principle is to build a secure, stable and prosperous future for Gibraltar and a modern sustainable status, consistent with our common membership of NATO and the EU. We also agreed on the need for rapid progress on key areas of co-operation. We asked officials to work up ideas and report to the next Ministerial meeting.
	While the British Government welcomed the Spanish decision to more than triple the number of telephone numbers for Gibraltar to 100,000, both Ministers agreed on the need for experts to continue discussions to resolve the other telecommunications issues. The British Government welcomed Spain's proposals to improve health care facilities in Spain for Gibraltarians, and both Ministers agreed that this should be followed up quickly. The Ministers also agreed that bilateral discussions would continue to address the pensions issue.
	We agreed that the Government of Gibraltar had a very important contribution to make to our discussions. Gibraltar's voice should be heard. We reiterated the invitation which we issued to the Chief Minister of Gibraltar when we met in London on 26 July to attend future Brussels Process Ministerial meetings. His role will be fully respected and he will have the opportunity to contribute fully to the discussion. The Process would benefit greatly from the direct views of the Government of Gibraltar, and through the Government of the House of Assembly and public opinion in Gibraltar as a whole.

Gibraltar

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what models of sovereignty he is exploring with the Spanish Government in the Brussels process.

Peter Hain: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement issued in Barcelona earlier today by the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Foreign Secretary, a copy of which is also being placed in the Libraries of the House.

Gibraltar

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has made to ensure that the people of Gibraltar enjoy the rights of citizens of the European Union; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: The UK Government take their responsibility for Gibraltar in the EU very seriously and will continue firmly to defend the rights and interests of the people of Gibraltar.
	HMG are actively working to ensure Gibraltar's enfranchisement in time for the 2004 elections to the European Parliament. HMG tabled an amendment to the 1976 EC Act on Direct Elections in order to extend the European franchise to Gibraltar. But such amendment has not proved possible. So, the UK is now actively considering taking unilateral action to extend the franchise to Gibraltar. This would involve bringing in domestic legislation without prior amendment to the 1976 Act.

Gibraltar

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Gibraltar about facilitating their participation in the talks with the Spanish Government on terms that are acceptable to the Government of Gibraltar.

Peter Hain: I have held extensive discussions with the Government of Gibraltar about their participation in the Brussels process beginning in July and during my visit to Gibraltar on 6 September. The Chief Minister of Gibraltar called on the Foreign Secretary on 9 October. The Chief Minister called on me on 24 October. I also spoke to Chief Minister on 6 November and again on 13 November. At the Brussels Process Ministerial meeting held in Barcelona this morning the Secretary of State and the Spanish Foreign Minister reiterated their invitation for the Chief Minister of Gibraltar to attend future meetings.

Bangladesh

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Bangladesh regarding the treatment of Hindus.

Ben Bradshaw: Our High Commission in Dhaka closely monitor reports of human rights abuses against minority groups and will continue to do so. They have raised the persecution of Hindus several times with the Bangladesh government, encouraging them to investigate allegations. High Commission staff recently visited regions where abuses were alleged to have taken place. The evidence suggests minorities have been caught up in inter-party clashes following the recent elections.

Chagos Islands

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions have been held by the the British High Commission in Mauritius with representatives of the Chagos islanders.
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Ben Bradshaw: The British High Commissioner in Mauritius met with the Chairman of the Chagos Refugee Committee and his advisers in Port Louis on 12 November.

Chagos Islands

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent visits to the Chagos islands have been made by officials of the British Indian Ocean Territories during the current calender year; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: MOD staff and UK military personnel have visited this calendar year but not officials of the British Indian Ocean Territory Government.

Chagos Islands

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to receive the environmental impact assessment report on potential future settlement of the Chagos Islands by its former inhabitants and their descendants.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 28 June 2001, Official Report, column 164W. Phase 2 of the feasibility studies remains on target and we expect it to be completed by mid-2002.

Chagos Islands

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has held with representatives of the Chagos islanders concerning their legal rights of return.

Ben Bradshaw: We have maintained a regular dialogue with various members of the Ilois community and their lawyers.

Terroism Convention

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made with drawing up a draft convention on international terroism.

Peter Hain: There has been extensive work on the Comprehensive Terrorism Convention in the Sixth Committee of the UN General Assembly in New York. The UK has played an active part. The areas still under discussion have been narrowed consideralby. But consensus on the whole text has not yet been reached.

Kashmir

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) India and (b) Pakistan on the situation in Kashmir.

Ben Bradshaw: We regularly discuss Kashmir with the Indian and Pakistani Governments. The Prime Minister met the Pakistani President and Indian Prime Minister on 5 and 6 October and again during their respective visits to London on 8 and 12 November. The Foreign Secretary met his Indian counterpart in London on 3 October and his Pakistani conterpart in New York on 13 November. We will continue to urge both countries to persevere with dialogue to find a solution to this and all the issues outstanding between them.

International Criminal Court

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those countries that (a) have ratified and (b) have undertaken to ratify the Treaty on the International Criminal Court.

Ben Bradshaw: To date, 46 countries including the United Kingdom have ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute of the ICC. These are:
	Ratifications: Senegal, Trinidad and Tobago, San Marino, Italy, Fiji, Ghana, Norway, Belize, Tajikistan, Iceland, Venezuela, France, Belgium, Canada, Mali, Lesotho, New Zealand, Botswana, Luxembourg, Sierra Leone, Gabon, Spain, South Africa, Marshall Islands, Germany, Austria, Finland, Argentina, Andorra, Paraguay, Croatia, Cost Rica, Antigua and Barbuda, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Yugoslavia, Nigeria, Liechtenstein, Central African Republic, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Peru, Nauru and Poland.
	Accession: Dominica
	The Statute will enter into force on the first day of the month after the 60th day following the date of the 60th deposit of ratification, accession, acceptance or approval with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
	139 States have signed the Rome Statute of the ICC. Of these, many are well advanced with preparations to ratify. 12 EU member states have ratified to date and the other three are committed to doing so. We continue our efforts to encourage state to ratify or accede to the Statute as soon as possible.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Cultural Objects

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her policy towards 2001/C193/17, extending Council Directive 93/7/EEC on the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a member state; and what assessment she has made of its impact on holdings in British museums.

Kim Howells: The provisions of Directive 2001/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directive 93/7/EEC will be implemented into UK law. The amendments should have no impact on the holdings in British Museums.

National Lottery

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total value of lottery ticket sales in the Twickenham constituency has been since the National Lottery began.

Richard Caborn: Information on National Lottery ticket sales by constituency is not routinely collected. Camelot did, however, conduct a one-off exercise to calculate ticket sales by constituency early in 2000. At that time, cumulative ticket sales in Twickenham from the start of the Lottery were £35.4 million.

National Lottery

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) tennis clubs, (b) football clubs, (c) cricket clubs and (d) rugby clubs have received Lottery awards in each year since the National Lottery began.

Richard Caborn: Lottery awards have been made to the following number of tennis, football, cricket and rugby clubs in each year since the lottery began:
	
		Lottery Awards
		
			 Clubs 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 
		
		
			 Tennis 66 93 79 47 45 28 
			 Association Football 38 34 15 12 17 8 
			 Cricket 83 98 93 49 45 39 
			 Rugby League 0 3 3 3 1 5 
			 Rugby Union 21 17 9 7 11 4

National Lottery

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the total value of lottery ticket sales in the Buckingham constituency since the National Lottery began.

Richard Caborn: Information on National Lottery ticket sales by constituency is not routinely collected. Camelot did, however, conduct a one-off exercise to calculate ticket sales by constituency early in 2000. At that time, cumulative ticket sales in Buckingham from the start of the lottery were £11.1 million.

National Lottery

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total value of lottery ticket sales in the Cheltenham constituency is since the National Lottery began.

Richard Caborn: Information on National Lottery ticket sales by constituency is not routinely collected. Camelot did, however, conduct a one-off exercise to calculate ticket sales by constituency early in 2000. At that time, cumulative ticket sales in Cheltenham from the start of the lottery were £46.2 million.

National Lottery

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what alteration in (a) number and (b) value of lottery awards to Cannock Chase has occurred as a result of recent initiatives to increase awards to coalfield areas.

Richard Caborn: In the period up to August 1998 Cannock Chase received six awards, worth just over £330,000. Following the National Lottery Act 1998, revised policy directions and recent coalfields initiatives by Government and distributors, this figure increased to 93 awards, worth over £1.3 million.
	The proportion of grants going to coalfield areas as a whole has increased by a third since the reforms.

Playing Fields

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the reason is for the delay in the publication by her Department of monthly figures on the number of playing fields sold off; and when she will publish the figures.

Richard Caborn: Statistics on playing field sales were not collected until our playing fields legislation came into force. The Playing Field Monitoring Group was established to agree which statistics would be most useful in informing playing field policy. The Central Council of Physical Recreation and the National Playing Fields Association are members of the group to help that process. Figures from the Department for Education and Skills on applications made by state schools to dispose or change the use of school playing fields are published monthly, and those from Sport England giving details of planning applications affecting playing fields which have been referred to them as statutory consultee are published annually. We are aiming to produce combined figures including relevant data from the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions shortly. The differing time frames and areas covered by each set of figures, along with double counting in some areas and gaps in the data have complicated the issue and delayed publication. We hope to publish the first set of statistics, agreed by the monitoring group, early next year.

Tourism (North-East)

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to promote tourism in the coastal resorts in the north-east.

Kim Howells: holding answer 19 November 2001
	Seaside resorts continue to represent a very important sector of our domestic holiday market, generating well over 15 per cent. of England's total domestic tourism income. The principal responsibility for supporting and promoting British seaside resorts lies with local government, working with other interested parties in the light of a clearly enunciated vision and strategy for tourism and other economic activity. The North East Regional Development Agency also has a key role to play at the regional level.
	The north-east benefits, as does the rest of Britain, from British Tourist Authority (BTA) promotions overseas. Among BTA campaigns featuring coastal resorts in the north-east are Hidden Britain, due for launch next year, which suggests itineraries through less well known places, the Walking Britain map, due for launch in January and Harry Potter and Magical Britain, which will be launched on Monday 19 November. This is a guide to locations used in the recent film. Promotion of the Harry Potter guide includes a BTA press trip to Alnwick and Whitby, planned jointly with England's north-east.

Gambling

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from which (a) individuals and (b) bodies the Gambling Review Body received advice regarding problem gambling among (i) children and (ii) adults.

Richard Caborn: Annexes D and E to the report of the Gambling Review Body list the individuals and bodies who gave evidence.

Gambling

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received concerning problem gambling among (a) children and (b) adults.

Richard Caborn: A substantial number of the submissions which we have recently received on the report of the Gambling Review Body comment on problem gambling. A number express concern that some of the recommendations in the report could increase current levels of problem gambling.

Gambling

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the impact on (a) small businesses, (b) private clubs and (c) other organisations of the implementation of recommendation 70 of the report of the Gambling Review Body;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the impact on (a) small businesses, (b) private clubs and (c) other organisations if all recommendations of the Gambling Review Body were implemented.

Richard Caborn: We have not yet completed our consideration of the many representations on the report in general and recommendation 70 in particular which we have received; but a substantial number have drawn attention to the serious financial consequences for clubs and small businesses which they argue it would have.

Staff Dispositions

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many employees of (a) her Department and (b) agencies sponsored by her Department work in (i) London, (ii) areas benefiting from EU objective 1 status, (iii) areas with objective 2 status and (iv) other areas.

Kim Howells: holding answer 19 November 2001
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has 462 staff in post (as at 15 November 2001):
	453 in London;
	Three in areas benefiting from EU objective 1 status; and
	Six in areas with objective 2 status.
	The Royal Parks Agency has 224 staff in post in London only. They have no staff with objective 1 or 2 status.

Gaming Machines

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will make an announcement on the recommendations of the Gaming Board for Great Britain on the maximum stakes and prizes in gaming machines.

Richard Caborn: I will make an announcement on this tomorrow.

Free Television Licences

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many older people will receive free television licences (a) in the UK and (b) in Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East.

Kim Howells: Approximately 3.2 million people who previously paid the full television licence fee and 475,000 people who previously paid a £5 concessionary licence fee currently benefit from free television licences for the over-75s. TV Licensing, which administers this concession for the BBC as Licensing Authority, is not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, estimates based on the 1991 Census indicate that there were approximately 4,800 people aged 75 or over in the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Response Times

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  if she will place in the Library for each year since 1995 the average response time for providing a substantive answer to (a) hon. Members' correspondence, (b) correspondence from members of the public and (c) written parliamentary questions in the (i) Commons and (ii) Lords;
	(2)  if she will place in the Library for each year since 1995 the total number of (a) letters from hon. Members, (b) letters from members of the public and (c) parliamentary questions from (i) hon. Members and (ii) Lords dealt with by her Department; what percentage took (A) more than one month and (B) more than three months to provide a substantive answer; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Liddell: The effective handling of correspondence and PQs is an issue to which I, and ministerial colleagues, attach great importance.
	General information on the volumes of correspondence received across Whitehall and on overall performance is published by the Cabinet Office. Figures for 2000 were published on 6 April 2001, Official Report, columns 324–28W and on 19 July 2001, Official Report, columns 454–56W.
	The time limits for answering written parliamentary questions vary considerably and the calculation of an average response time would not, therefore, provide a reliable indication of the timeliness of answers.

Departmental Spending

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the total amount of spending by her Department was in each nation and region of the UK, in the last year for which figures are available; what proportion of her Department's total spending this constitutes; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Liddell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) on 15 October 2001, Official Report, columns 454–56W.

Departmental Staff

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will estimate the number of staff employed by her Department by region and nation of the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Liddell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 15 October 2001, Official Report, columns 1009–12W.

House of Lords Reform

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement regarding the implications for Scotland of the proposals to reform the House of Lords.

Helen Liddell: The Royal Commission on House of Lords reform recommended a minority elected element to represent the nations and regions. It found no appetite for direct representation of the devolved institutions in the House of Lords and recommended against it. The Government have pledged to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission in the most effective way possible, and have recently published their proposals in the White Paper, "The House of Lords—Completing the Reform" (Cm 5291).

MSPs (Numbers)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive on the operation of the Scotland Act 1998 concerning the reduction of the number of MSPs as a consequence of a reduction in the number of hon. Members from Scottish constituencies.

Helen Liddell: I have regular discussions with the Executive on a range of issues. I announced to the House on 6 November that I will be consulting widely on the size of the Scottish Parliament and expect to receive the views of Scottish Ministers and others on this matter.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Environment Agency (Navigation Responsibilities)

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she has reached a decision on the review of the Environment Agency's navigation responsibilities.

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she has reached a decision on the review of the Environment Agency's navigation responsibilities.

Margaret Beckett: The Environment Agency's navigation responsibilities were considered during Stage 1 of the Financial, Management and Policy Review (FMPR) which has recently been completed. The review team considered a wide range of views on the subject, including responses to public consultation, reports such as that of the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Select Committee, and an independent consultant's study.
	The Stage 1 report concluded that there were no compelling operational reasons for a transfer of functions from the Environment Agency to British Waterways, but nor were there insuperable barriers to such a transfer. The report also concluded that there was an underlying policy issue to be resolved, which was beyond the scope of the FMPR to address. Essentially, that was whether the institutional arrangements for the waterways should be structured to promote navigation and regeneration benefits, with flood defence and conservation accommodated within the structure, or vice versa. In this respect British Waterways and the Environment Agency offer different advantages.
	I have considered carefully the FMPR report, and information and views provided subsequently by the Environment Agency and British Waterways. This has not been a straightforward decision. I am attracted by the potential regeneration benefits a transfer to British Waterways could bring, and I accept the FMPR report's conclusion that flood defence issues do not pose an insuperable barrier to transfer, given British Waterways' safety record on its own rivers. However, any change needs to be justified by clear and objective evidence. On balance I do not judge there is sufficiently robust evidence on which to justify a transfer. I have therefore decided that current responsibilities should continue.
	The Environment Agency will be set challenging new targets to deliver the improved service on navigation and regeneration being developed through initiatives like "Thames Ahead", working with local authorities and other partners. I look forward to positive results from this exercise, and to renewed goodwill and partnership with British Waterways in serving our important inland waterways.

BSE

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish all correspondence (a) between her Department and (i) the Institute of Animal Health, (ii) the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, (iii) the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, (iv) the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee, (v) the Food Standards Agency and (vi) the Department of Health, and (b) between those agencies which are the responsibility of her Department, regarding tests to establish whether BSE was present in sheep in the early 1990s.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 26 October 2001
	The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Border Inspection Posts

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to record centrally (a) the number of people employed in border inspection posts and (b) where they are deployed.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 8 November 2001
	The inspection services at the border inspection post (BIP) are the responsibility of the local authority and it is for the appropriate local authority to deploy inspection staff at the BIP in response to the volume and nature of products imported through the BIP. For this reason the exact number of inspectors engaged in checking imports can vary from day to day. Any centrally held figure would therefore be accurate only on the day it was collected. Central Government have no powers to instruct the local authority over the number of inspectors.

Foot and Mouth

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to draw up a National Contingency Plan in relation to foot and mouth disease.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 1 November 2001
	Contingency plans are held and regularly reviewed by the Regional Operations Directors who have been put in place to deal with the current foot and mouth disease outbreak. The plans are kept under review and up-dated as necessary in the light of the latest disease situation. They are based on the continued adherence to and rigorous enforcement of the existing control strategies, including tight biosecurity, and take the form of working documents that have to be refined in the light of any new developments including up to date epidemiological advice.

Foot and Mouth

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has recently received from Professor Fred Brown regarding new technologies in the diagnosis of foot and mouth disease.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 19 October 2001
	The Department last had contact with Professor Brown some months ago when he proposed the use of new portable technology, a portable SmartCycler, in the diagnosis of foot and mouth. This equipment has been tested at Pirbright against the laboratory-based testing system and results compared.
	Early findings indicate that the tests carried out within the laboratory are more accurate as they are able to identify borderline positive samples. This has been crucial in the fight against this outbreak. The technology test itself is quicker than the laboratory by two hours, but in its current form it is not suitable for large scale testing in the field. This is because there are a number of practical considerations which might lead to contamination of samples which are tested in the field. Further work on the validation of the test, the assay procedures and "real time" comparisons with the laboratory system is being carried out. We are always keen to encourage new technology in this area and willing to co-operate in development and validation whenever we have the facility available and it is practical to do so.

Foot and Mouth

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received requesting a public inquiry into the origins of the foot and mouth outbreak and the measures taken to control it.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 15 October 2001
	The Government have received a number of representations on this subject. These have mainly been from parish, district and borough councils.

Foot and Mouth

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what was the average daily fee and commission paid to (a) valuers, (b) slaughtermen and (c) vets for their work in the slaughter of herds owing to FMD between March and October.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 2 November 2001
	The precise information requested cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost. Information on the fee structure is as follows: (a) valuers are paid 1 per cent. of valuation subject to a daily minimum of £500 and daily maximum of £1,500; (b) slaughtermen are paid at or around a headage rate of £2.50 per bovine and £1.00 per sheep, pig or goat; and (c) temporary veterinary inspectors are engaged at a daily rate of £250.

Foot and Mouth

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what standard operating procedures based upon previous outbreaks had been established by MAFF to deal with foot and mouth.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 16 November 2001
	Comprehensive veterinary instructions and procedures have been in existence for some years. These are developed in the light of outbreaks of disease (not only foot and mouth) and are continually reviewed and amended where necessary. In this outbreak, numerous instructions have also been issued in response to the developing disease situation.

Air Quality

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to ensure the effective monitoring of progress by local authorities on the implementation of plans to improve air quality.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 1 November 2001
	Local authorities have a key role to play in improving air quality, and we recognise the importance of monitoring closely the progress that they are making. We have issued guidance to local authorities on preparing air quality action plans, and authorities are required to consult us on all draft plans as they emerge. We will consider these carefully, and offer formal comments as appropriate. Once air quality action plans are in place, we will monitor their effectiveness through our national air quality monitoring network, as well as by overseeing the results of local authorities' own future reviews and assessments of air quality. Where insufficient progress is being made, we have the power under section 85 of the Environment Act 1995 to issue directions to local authorities, requiring them to do more.

Air Quality

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will establish a timetable for regular reviews of the Government's air quality standards.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 1 November 2001
	The Government's plans for future reviews of air quality standards and objectives were set out in Chapter 6 ("Next Steps") of the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, published in January 2000. The Government's air quality standards are based on the advice of the expert panel on air quality standards (EPAQS), and are reviewed as and when necessary in the light of scientific and other developments in the UK and elsewhere. EPAQS's work programme is regularly revised to take account of emerging developments, including new advice from the World Health Organisation and the European Commission.

Air Quality

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to widen the membership of the expert panel on air quality standards and to review its remit; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 1 November 2001
	The Government recognise the need to widen the membership of the expert panel on air quality standards (EPAQS). We are, for example, taking urgent steps to recruit at least one lay member onto the panel. EPAQS remit will be revised and updated following discussions at the Air Quality forum (a stakeholder group which advises the Government on air quality policies) earlier this year. A copy of the remit and a list of the current members is available via the Department's website. http://www.defra.gov.uk/

Nitrogen Dioxide

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to identify the long-term effects of nitrogen dioxide emissions on human health.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 1 November 2001
	The Department of Health has recently issued a call for research proposals which includes a request for a review of the effects of long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide on health. In addition, the World Health Organisation will be reviewing the health effects of nitrogen dioxide in the next couple of years. The Government will assess the implications of these reviews when they have been completed, and will take full account of them in shaping any policy objectives for nitrogen dioxide that are set after that time.

Farmers' Markets

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to promote farmers' markets.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 15 October 2001
	We have actively encouraged the development of farmers' markets.
	In 1999 the Ministry of Agriculture hosted a seminar which led to the creation of the National Association of Farmers' Markets (NAFM). The NAFM acts as the 'umbrella' body for farmers' markets and plays a key role in protecting and advancing their interests at a national level. We awarded NAFM grant under the Agricultural Development Scheme towards its training, accreditation and marketing programmes. More recently we have provided funding to help NAFM re-launch farmers' markets in the wake of the foot and mouth outbreak.
	Farmers Markets may be eligible for funding under the Rural Enterprise Scheme which is part of the England Rural Development Programme.
	Earlier this year we co-sponsored the Local Government Association Guide on Farmers' Markets. The Guide is intended to disseminate good practice for local authorities hosting farmers' markets and provides a range of information, help and advice.
	The Countryside Agency, which we grant aid, is also supporting the development of farmers' markets.

Genetically Modified Fish

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the (a) likelihood of interbreeding of genetically modified fish and wild fish and (b) environmental consequences of such interbreeding, with particular reference to salmon.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 15 October 2001
	It is likely that fertile genetically modified (GM) fish released into the environment would interbreed with the local wild population of the same species. The environmental consequences would depend on the individual circumstances.
	The likelihood of environmental consequences is the rationale behind the European Regulatory regime, which prohibits releases of genetically modified organisms into the environment. Directive 90/220 requires that anyone wanting to release genetically modified organisms in any country in the EU must have prior approval subject to a detailed risk assessment. Approval cannot be granted unless the applicant can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the regulatory authorities that all appropriate measures have been taken to avoid adverse effects on human health and the environment. Each application is considered on a case by case basis taking account of specific circumstances in each individual case; it is not possible to generalise.
	In the case of a proposal to release GM salmon the likelihood of interbreeding with the wild population is one of the factors which would be assessed. It is difficult to envisage approval being granted where the possibility of interbreeding with wild stock exists.

Sellafield

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the environmental implications of the manufacture of MOX fuel at Sellafield;
	(2)  what conclusions her Department has reached about objections raised by (a) the Irish Government and (b) others to the MOX plant at Sellafield;
	(3)  what (a) risk assessment and (b) additional consideration her Department has given to the risk of suicide terrorist attacks on shipments of plutonium since 11 September;

Margaret Beckett: The Secretary of State for Health and I decided on 3 October that MOX manufacture is justified under the Basic Safety Standards Directive. We took account of all relevant issues up to that date, including environmental and security considerations and the views of the Irish Government and others who responded to five consultation exercises over five years. A copy of our decision is in the Library, including a summary of environmental, security and other main considerations taken into account. Paragraphs 56–64 and 67–70 of the decision document and paragraphs 6–14 and 25–33 of Annexe 1 describe these issues in detail. We sought the advice of agencies responsible for safety and security issues, including the Office for Civil Nuclear Security which, as the decision document makes clear, took account of the terrorist attacks on 11 September.

Timber Products (Public Sector Procurement)

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice the Cabinet Office gives to (a) Government Departments and (b) public sector procurement directors about the purchase of office furniture which has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Elliot Morley: Giving advice to Government Departments on environmental procurement matters is the joint responsibility of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Office of Government Commerce.
	Central Government Departments were formally reminded of the Government's policy to procure timber and timber related products from sustainable and legal sources in a Note dated 2 January 2001 from the then Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions sent to heads of procurement under cover of a Note from the Office of Government Commerce. In that note attention was drawn to advice on the DETR website—now maintained by DEFRA. Central Government have not given advice on this subject directly to other public sector procurement directors but the Government's advice is widely available and can be adapted or adopted by any other organisation.
	Central Government buyers are advised to specify in orders and contracts that suppliers provide documentary evidence, which has been, or can be, independently verified, that the timber has been lawfully obtained from forests and plantations managed to sustain their biodiversity, productivity and vitality and to prevent harm to other ecosystems and any indigenous or forest dependent people. When verifying the credibility of suppliers' claims buyers are not advised to consider any particular scheme in preference to other schemes. Buyers have been advised, by way of the statement made by the Minister for the Environment to Parliament on 28 July 2000, that the Forest Stewardship Council is an example of a body that sets independent standards for sustainable forestry and a means for verifying the source of timber purchased.
	DEFRA has commissioned a study of central Government's timber procurement requirements with a view to producing further advice to buyers.

Foxhunting

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she received the risk assessment of restarting foxhunting; and if she will publish it.

Alun Michael: holding answer 25 October 2001
	The Veterinary Risk Assessment for hunting was submitted in mid-September in the light of the foot and mouth disease classification of counties for autumn movements. Since then, Ministers and officials have monitored the disease picture closely and have been considering the detail of how any relaxation of foot and mouth disease controls on hunting would be implemented. The Veterinary Risk Assessment and our decision based on it were published on 15 November 2001 and have been placed in the Vote Office and in the Library of the House.

Foxhunting

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what individuals and organisations have been consulted during the compiling of the Veterinary Risk Assessment report on hunting; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Officials from the Department have met a range of organisations including the Countryside Alliance, the League against Cruel Sports and the Masters of Foxhounds Association regarding the possible relaxation of foot and mouth disease controls over hunting.

Badgers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the illegal killing of badgers.

Elliot Morley: This Government deplore the illegal killing of badgers. The principal legislation protecting the welfare of badgers is the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. Under the 1992 Act it is an offence to kill, take or dig for a badger, or attempt to do so, except under licence or in certain particular circumstances, or to injure one or attempt to do so. The maximum penalty for an offence under the 1992 Act is a fine of 5,000 and/or 6 months' imprisonment.
	The level of protection for badgers is unique for an unendangered animal and reflects the concern which is felt by Parliament about the gratuitous acts for cruelty to which badgers have been subjected to all too often in the past.

Flooding

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice her Department is issuing to householders who face repeated flooding on (a) protecting and (b) insuring their properties; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Guidance on protecting properties is available from the Environment Agency's Floodline Service and on the agency's website.
	As regards flood insurance, it is clearly in householders' interests to ensure that their policies provide suitable cover against flooding. The Government maintain close links with the insurance industry to help ensure continued availability of affordable flood cover. Together with the flood defence operating authorities, we are reducing the risk of flooding and are communicating this to the industry. However, it must be recognised that insurance companies need to take a commercial decision as to what risk they will cover and on what terms. Also, the insurance industry is a competitive one and customers may need to shop around to obtain the best deal.
	The agreement among Association of British Insurers (ABI) member companies is that they will continue to provide flood cover, except in exceptional circumstances, for domestic properties and small businesses which they currently insure, during 2001 and 2002. Cases where there is an alleged breach of this agreement have been referred by DEFRA to the ABI for investigation.
	My hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury and I met the ABI on 5 September to discuss our mutual aim of ensuring that affordable flood insurance cover continues to be generally available after December 2002. Further discussions between official have taken place.
	In relation to the concerns expressed by the ABI, the Government are acting to reduce flood risk, through substantial increases in investment in flood and coastal defence (which now totals over 400 million a year). Flood defences are being repaired, renewed, maintained and improved. Flood warning arrangements are continually being improved. The Government have issued strengthened guidance to local planning authorities on control of development in flood risk areas, and are reviewing the financial and institutional arrangements under which the flood defence service is delivered.

Flooding

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what additional funding she will make available to assist local authorities with the cost of sandbags, water pumps and other items in relation to flooding and flood defences in the next 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The flood defence service is provided by the Environment Agency, internal drainage boards and local authorities. It is funded by a combination of grant from DEFRA towards approved capital schemes and Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions funding delivered through the local government financial mechanisms.
	Total Government funding is set to increase from some 377 million this year to 394 million in 200203. The great majority of this funding is used to provide new flood defences, maintain and improve existing defences and watercourses, and provide flood warning schemes, though such funding may also be used to provide additional sandbags and pumping equipment.

Flooding

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what representations she has received from owners of properties that were flooded last year for the first time and have been designated by insurance companies as at risk;
	(2)  what measures she has taken to assist homeowners whose houses are not on flood plains but who have been flooded in the last year who are required to pay the same insurance premiums as those homeowners who are;
	(3)  if she will encourage insurance companies not to charge excessive premiums to homeowners who possess properties at risk from flooding.

Elliot Morley: The Government maintain close links with the insurance industry to help continued availability of affordable flood cover. Together with the flood defence operating authorities, we are reducing the risk of flooding and are communicating this to the industry. However, it must be recognised that insurance companies need to take a commercial decision as to what risk they will cover and on what terms. Also, the insurance industry is a competitive one and customers may need to shop around to obtain the best deal.
	The agreement among Association of British Insurers (ABI) member companies is that they will continue to provide flood cover, except in exceptional circumstances, for domestic properties and small businesses which they currently insure, during 2001 and 2002. Cases where there is an alleged breach of this agreement have been referred by DEFRA to the ABI for investigation.
	My hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury and I met the ABI on 5 September to discuss our mutual aim of ensuring that affordable flood insurance cover continues to be generally available after December 2002. Further discussions between officials have taken place.
	In relation to the concerns expressed by the ABI, the Government are acting to reduce flood risk, through substantial increases in investment in flood and coastal defence (which now totals over 400 million a year). Flood defences are being repaired, renewed, maintained and improved. Flood warning arrangements are continually being improved. The Government have issued strengthened guidance to local planning authorities on control of development in flood risk areas, and are reviewing the financial and institutional arrangements under which the flood defence service is delivered.

Pay Dispute

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the state of industrial relations at her Department's office in Worcester; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Despite the current pay dispute involving the Public and Commercial Services Union, we are continuing to maintain working relations with them and other DEFRA unions.

Pay Dispute

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely implications of industrial action at her Department's office in Worcester for the efficient delivery of services by that office; and if she will make a statement.

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the industrial action carried out by staff employed at her Department's regional offices at (a) Crewe, (b) Nottingham and (c) Bristol; and what assessment she has made of the industrial action's effect on the (i) despatch and (ii) processing of (A) agricultural claim forms and (B) payments for farmers.

Elliot Morley: DEFRA Ministers receive regular reports on the impacts on the Department and we are determined to manage the consequences responsibly, taking account of the needs of our customers the taxpayer and the long-term working relations in the Department. Our aim is to resolve the current dispute as quickly as possible.

Local Access Forums

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in establishing local access forums; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: I am pleased to say that we are making significant progress. On 31 July I published a consultation document on proposals for regulations to establish local access forums under Section 94(1) of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. The consultation closed on 23 October. We received around 300 responses, and these will be considered with care when drafting the regulations. I expect the regulations to come into force early next year.

Livestock Farming

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement about the future of livestock farming in the UK.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 12 November 2001
	DEFRA's objectives are to create a livestock production sector which is sustainable, competitive, responsive to consumer demands and founded on high animal health and welfare standards.
	To ensure sustainability we need to have regard to environmental limitations and market limitations. We continue to argue the case for decoupling EC beef and sheep payments from production to enable producers to align their livestock numbers to the carrying capacity of their land and to the likely markets for their produce.
	Better marketing is needed to shorten the supply chain between producer and consumer. This should enable producers to be both more competitive and to respond to consumer tastes.
	DEFRA is determined to develop a coherent strategy for the identification and tracing of animals to enable diseases to be tackled more effectively and to ensure consumer confidence in animal products. We are also launching the National Scrapie Plan, which is a long-term programme for breeding genetic resistance to scrapie and BSE into the national sheep flock.

Hare Coursing

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received regarding illegal hare coursing; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: A number of hon. Members have commented on the problem of illegal hare coursing following the Adjournment Debate initiated by the hon. Member for Wantage (Mr. Jackson) on 29 October 2001, Official Report, columns 72734. In responding to that debate I set out the Government's position on illegal hare coursing.

Special Advisers

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the special advisers employed by her Department and their relevant qualifications and experience.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 16 November 2001
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has appointed Sheila Watson and Nicci Collins as her special advisers under the terms and conditions set out in the Model Contract for special advisers. Details of the career history of individuals are not disclosed, under exemption 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, to protect the privacy of the individual concerned.

Departmental Estate

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the (a) buildings and (b) lands owned by her Department.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 16 November 2001
	Details of the buildings and land owned by the Department have been placed in the Library of the House.

Open Day

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when her head office intends holding a public open day.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 16 November 2001
	The Department has a good record of heritage involvement and has opened the doors of Nobel House, its Grade 2* listed headquarters on Millbank, for the Open House event over the past few years. This has been favourably received by about 2,500 visitors, for whom officials have laid on guided tours, exhibitions and a brochure. This takes considerable pre-planning and unfortunately we could not open the building in September 2001 because of the pressures of foot and mouth disease. We intend to open Nobel House again in the future.

Flood Defences

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the components and weightings are of the economic tests applied to proposals for (a) coastal protection and (b) flood prevention.

Elliot Morley: This Department provides funding for coast protection and flood alleviation capital works that meet essential technical, economic and environmental criteria and achieve an appropriate priority score. To ensure that value is obtained for taxpayers' money the economic criteria for all works are that (a) the benefits outweigh the costs and (b) the most economically efficient option, commensurate with achieving an appropriate level of protection, is identified. The most recent guidance for operating authorities on the aspects to be covered in the economic appraisal of both coast protection and flood alleviation schemes was published in 1999.

Kew Gardens

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the report of the Quinquennial Review of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has been completed.

Alun Michael: The review team have completed Stage I of the Quinquennial Review of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. This deals with strategic options. I am today depositing a copy of their report in the parliamentary Libraries.
	The Government welcome the work of the review team and the scientific visiting group. We shall be replying to the recommendations of both exercises in due course with a formal response and action plan agreed jointly with the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
	Stage II of the Quinquennial Review is currently in hand.

PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Spending

Alex Salmond: To ask the Prime Minister what the total expenditure was on (a) advertising, (b) polling, (c) focus groups, (d) design consultants, (e) caterers, (f) production of departmental publications and (g) photographs/ photographers by his Department for each year since 1995 in (i) cash and (ii) real terms; what was (A) the annual percentage increase in spending on each category and (B) spending on each category as a percentage of the total departmental running costs; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 19 November 2001, Official Report, columns 8182W.

Resource Productivity

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Prime Minister when the Performance and Innovation Unit will publish its report on resource productivity; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: The Performance and Innovation Unit's report Resource productivity: making more with less to Government is being published today. I welcome the report, which will make an important contribution to delivering our goal of sustainable development. The report focuses on how to meet our objectives on economic growth without unacceptable environmental impacts.
	Key areas identified in the report for further action include Government procurement; a new approach to sustainable development and resource productivity in small businesses; targeted support for resource productive innovation; and an assessment of long-term indicative targets.
	My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment will lead on taking forward the implementation and dissemination of the report, in collaboration with colleagues on the ENV(G) Cabinet sub-committee.
	Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House. It is also available on the Cabinet website at www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/innovation.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

East Coast Main Line

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what progress has been made regarding the extension of the east coast main line franchise.

David Jamieson: Negotiations between the Strategic Rail Authority and GNER are continuing. Discussions for extending franchises will focus on better rolling stock, refurbished stations and new services.

Rent Restructuring

Iain Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to announce his proposals for rent restructuring; and if he will make a statement.

Sally Keeble: My right hon. Friend the then Minister of State responsible for local government and the regions announced our proposals for rent restructuring in the December 2000 policy statement, The Way Forward for Housing. We expect to announce shortly how the housing revenue account subsidy system is to change to reflect those proposals.

Inner-city Regeneration

George Mudie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he is taking to encourage regeneration in the inner cities.

Sally Keeble: We are working closely with 24 partner towns and cities around the country to take forward the urban regeneration agenda. My Department also has a number of programmes including the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, New Deal for Communities and Neighbourhood and Street Warden schemes through which we are spending over 1.9 billion in deprived areas over the next three years.

Aircraft Noise

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he is taking to control the nuisance of aircraft noise.

David Jamieson: The Government's policy is to address the nuisance of aircraft noise by promoting improved standards for noise at source, through ICAO and other bodies; by encouraging good practice in noise control at airports through local consultation; and where appropriate by directly regulating operational noise controls.

Local Government Settlement

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will use financial floors and ceilings in determining the local government settlement for 200203.

Alan Whitehead: As I announced to the House on 20 July, we will be applying floors and ceilings to grant increases for authorities with education and social services responsibilities, and to police and fire authorities in the 200203 local government finance settlement. We are also considering how best to improve predictability and stability for shire districts in the 200203 settlement. We will announce the details of our proposals to the House at the start of the consultation on the provisional settlement.

Railtrack

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what rail infrastructure improvement targets Railtrack has met since privatisation.

James Purnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what rail infrastructure improvement targets Railtrack has met since privatisation.

David Jamieson: No infrastructure improvement targets were set at the time of privatisation. Since 1998 the Rail Regulator has set a range of targets for Railtrack covering track quality, broken rails and overall performance. Of these, the company has met that relating to broken rails for 200001 and a small proportion of those covering track quality and operational performance.

Railtrack

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  on which dates, up to one month prior to 5 October, he received advice from the Treasury indicating funds were not likely to be approved to maintain the (a) viability and (b) liquidity of Railtrack plc;
	(2)  if he will list the dates up to one month prior to 5 October when he received advice from the Treasury, pursuant to his statement in the House of 13 November 2001, Official Report, column 724.

Stephen Byers: As I made clear in my Statement to the House on 13 November 2001, Official Report, column 725, it was my decision, on behalf of the Government, on 5 October to refuse further funding for Railtrack plc, over and above the Regulated settlement and the 2 April Agreement. Treasury was kept fully informed of Railtrack's requests for unlimited funding.

Rail Network (Funding)

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on future funding of the rail network.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on future funding of the rail network.

David Jamieson: The Government, through their 10 Year Plan, remain committed to delivering a better, safer and more reliable railway network for the 21st century, and are prepared to spend over 30 billion over the next 10 years to achieve substantial improvements.

Telecommunications Masts

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the planning procedures for erecting telecommunications masts in residential areas and near schools.

Sally Keeble: Mobile phone mast development in residential areas and near schools is subject to the normal telecommunications planning arrangements in place throughout England.
	Our recently published Planning Policy Guidance Note 8 Telecommunications advises that before an operator submits an application for planning permission or prior approval for a mast near a school or college they should discuss the proposed development with the relevant body of the school or college.

Standard Spending Assessment (Wirral)

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on his plans for the standard spending assessment for the Wirral.

Alan Whitehead: We are currently determining the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 200203. We will announce the resulting figures for all English local authorities at the time of the consultation on the provisional settlement, which will commence in late November or early December, as is normal.

Elected Mayors

Kevin Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the adoption of local government constitutions involving elected mayors.

Alan Whitehead: To date, referendums in six local authorities, including Doncaster, have supported the introduction of an elected mayor, and mayoral elections in those local authorities will be held in May 2002.
	We have also received proposals from five other councils that include the holding of referendums on a range of dates between now and the beginning of February 2002.

Glas Cymru

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of Glas Cymru as a model for the new Railtrack.

David Jamieson: We have indicated that we will be making a proposal to the administrator for a company limited by guarantee to take over Railtrack's role, but the Secretary of State will of course consider any proposal put to him by the Administrator to transfer the railway assets out of administration.
	We are of course aware that Glas Cymru is based on the company limited by guarantee model, as are a large number of housing associations throughout the country. But our proposal will not be based on any one company model.

E-Government

Gwyn Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps his Department is taking to assist local authorities to deliver e-Government.

Alan Whitehead: Local authorities are making good progress towards meeting e-Government targets with the help of 350 million from the Local Government Online Programme. 24 million of this has been allocated this year to fund 24 of the 25 pathfinder projects; I expect to release a further amount shortly.

Local Government Finance

Kali Mountford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will make an announcement on the reform of local government finance.

Alan Whitehead: The Local Government White Paper due to be published later this year will set our financial reforms in context of the wider modernisation agenda and will include a Daughter Document detailing our financial proposals.

Private Sector Houses (Surplus)

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what action his Department proposes to take to assist local authorities with large numbers of unwanted and surplus private sector houses.

Sally Keeble: We recognise the problems created by abandoned housing in low-demand areas. There are no easy answers. The causes of market decline vary between authorities and so will the solutions. Local authorities already have a range of tools that they can use to deal with surplus housing. Other measures, such as licensing of private landlords and our private sector renewal reforms, are in the pipeline.

Bicycle Transportation

Nick Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what guidance he gives light rail operators on the circumstances under which passengers may transport cycles.

Sally Keeble: We offer no specific guidance to operators on the carriage of cycles on LRT systems. However, the National Cycling Strategy, which we support, suggests that all new LRT projects should include cycle carriage. Advice in Cycle-friendly Infrastructure, Guidelines for Planning and Design also advocates the carriage of bicycles on LRT. However, this is ultimately a matter for the discretion of the operator.

Regional Assemblies

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what changes to local government structures he plans as part of the introduction of regional assemblies.

Alan Whitehead: As previously announced by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, we intend to publish a Regional Governance White Paper, and this will set out how we plan to take forward our Manifesto commitment that:
	provision should be made for directly elected regional government to go ahead in regions where people decided in a referendum to support it and where predominantly unitary local government is established.

North Kent Rail Services

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to increase passenger capacity on North Kent rail services; and what recent representations he has received on this issue.

David Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority has no immediate plans to increase passenger capacity on North Kent rail services. However, this could be achieved by introducing 12-car operation as part of the Thameslink 2000 project and as a result of possible negotiations to extend the current Connex South Eastern franchise. I am not aware of any recent representations on this issue other than those made by my hon. Friend.

Local Communities (Partnerships)

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps his Department is taking to encourage partnerships in local communities.

Alan Whitehead: The Government expect county, district and parish councils to work in partnership with each other, with local communities, and other public, private and voluntary sector organisations to provide the best quality services for local people.
	We are taking a number of steps to foster this working, including the promotion of 'local strategic partnerships' to bring these groups together.
	Under the duty of Best Value, we also expect local councils to explore new ways of delivering public services, and that is why we have just launched a new task force on strategic service delivery further to encourage partnership working with the private sector.
	I understand that there is effective joint working between the public, private and community and voluntary sectors in Dorset and I commend my hon. Friend the member for South Dorset (Jim Knight).

Mobile Phones (Accidents)

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what evidence he has collated on the number of accidents caused by motorists using mobile phones while driving.

David Jamieson: There is clear evidence of an increased risk of an accident when using any type of mobile phone while driving. Detailed investigation is needed to establish the cause of any accident. Two research projects currently under way will help to establish the likely numbers of road traffic accidents involving mobile phones.

Women in Government

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to encourage women to put themselves forward for election to each level of Government.

Nick Raynsford: We have introduced the Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Bill to enable political parties to use positive measures to reduce inequality in the numbers of men and women elected.
	We are also reforming Government to make it a more attractive option to all people of all backgrounds, including women, through improving the hours and working environments at all levels of government.
	However, political parties have a vital role to play in encouraging women to come forward, and I hope that the work that the Government are doing in this area acts as a spur to parties wishing to achieve a greater gender balance in their representatives.

Ten-year Transport Plan

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which projects in the 10-year transport plan he estimates (a) will and (b) will not be open by 2010.

David Jamieson: The 10-year plan is an investment strategy aimed at providing improvements to transport across the board. There is no definitive list of projects. These will emerge as decisions are taken in the light of reports from the multi-modal studies, by local authorities and the Mayor of London, and by the SRA and the rail industry.

Concessionary Fares

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to extend the scope of the current legislation covering concessionary fares in England and Wales.

Sally Keeble: The Travel Concessions (Eligibility) Bill will extend local authority concessionary travel schemes to men aged 6064 in England and Wales.

Concessionary Fares

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer of 14 November 2001 by the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight, Official Report, column 850, on concessionary coach fares, if he will set out when public financial support for concessionary fares for pensioners on (a) buses and (b) coaches (i) became permissible, (ii) became mandatory and (iii) began to be implemented or will begin to be implemented, (A) for within-county travel and (B) for out-of-county travel.

Sally Keeble: Concessionary travel on buses and coaches at county level has been permitted since 1968. It was possible for authorities to arrange for the concession to apply outside the county by arrangement with adjoining local authorities. The statutory minimum standard that commenced in June 2001 ensures at least half-fare travel for pensioners on local buses. It does not apply at county level outside the metropolitan areas, although there is no reason why local authorities should not join together to run a county scheme, or a scheme beyond the county boundary, if they wish.

Road Traffic Accidents

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of road traffic accidents occurred on or near to the calibration lines of speed cameras in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

David Jamieson: That information does not form part of the accident record. Monitoring of the areas taking part in the trial of a new funding system for speed and traffic signal enforcement cameras has shown a significant decrease in the number of collisions and casualties at the camera sites. A site is considered to be the stretch of road within a half a kilometre of the camera.

Road Traffic Accidents

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what percentage of (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries in road traffic accidents occur to passengers where they and the car driver are under 21 years.

David Jamieson: In Great Britain in 2000 there were a total of 3,409 deaths in road accidents. Four per cent. of these fatalities were aged under 21 and a passenger in a car with a driver who was also under 21. There were 38,155 seriously injured casualties, of whom 3 per cent. were passengers where they and the car driver were under 21 years of age.

M25 Motorway

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will change the variable speed limit system in operation on the M25 motorway to permit the raising of speed limits above 70 mph in non-rush hour periods and lighter traffic.

David Jamieson: The M25 Controlled Motorway scheme is experimental and still subject to evaluation: there are no plans to modify the scheme at this time.

Social Housing

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many (a) council and (b) registered social landlord properties, and what percentage of all properties in each case, in each region in England and Wales will have target rents above their actual rent at the end of the 10 year transition period, assuming that target rents rise in line with retail prices index over the same period.

Sally Keeble: Under the social rent reforms, we are protecting tenants by limiting actual rent changes to no more than 2 per week in any one year above the normal increase for inflation, even where this means it takes more than 10 years for actual rents to reach the target levels given by the reforms. Information on actual and target rents under the reforms is currently not available. Social landlords will only have completed their property valuations and calculated their target rents under the reforms around the turn of this calendar year.

Social Housing

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many (a) council and (b) RSL properties, and what proportion of the total stock in each case, in each region in England and Wales will see (i) a reduction in their target rent as against their current rent, (ii) an increase in their target rent as against their current rents of under 10, (iii) an increase in their target rents as against their current rents of 10-20, (iv) an increase in their target rents as against their current actual rents of 20-30, (v) an increase in their target rents as against their current rents of 30-50 and (vi) above 50 under the Government's rent restructuring proposals.

Sally Keeble: The information is currently not available. Social landlords will only have completed their property valuations and calculated their target rents under the reforms around the end of this calendar year.

Social Housing

Iain Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the percentage of (a) council and (b) RSL tenants in London whose rents will rise as a consequence of the introduction of the target rents set as a consequence of the introduction of the rent restructuring proposals.

Sally Keeble: Our initial estimates were based on the English House Condition Survey database and information from landlords' statistical returns. At a national level, in April 2000 terms, they suggested the restructuring formula leads to increases in rents for around 53 per cent. of council tenants and 52 per cent. of RSL tenants. Equivalent figures have not been produced at the level of individual regions to avoid problems from small sample sizes.

Compulsory Training Directive (Minibus Drivers)

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact the European Directive on Compulsory Training for LGV and PCV drivers will have on voluntary minibus drivers required to hold a D1 driving licence.

John Spellar: We have sought to assess the impact by seeking the views of interested parties on the draft Directive, including the exemptions it proposed to the compulsory training requirement. Copies of the Consultation Paper were placed in the House Libraries. As discussions have progressed, we have held meetings with groups with particular interests in minibus drivers, such as the Community Transport Association and the Confederation of Passenger Transport.
	Persons driving minibuses as volunteers may usually do so on the basis of holding a car driving licence. Under European driving licence laws they are exempt from the normal requirement to hold the higher standard vocational driving licence, provided they can satisfy the exemption conditions which generally relate to age and experience.
	Discussions on the draft Directive have established that drivers who are not required to hold a vocational driving licence will not be required to undertake the compulsory training requirement.

Affordable Homes (London)

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the number of affordable homes achieved via (a) section 106 agreements and (b) unilateral undertakings by London boroughs between April 2000 and April 2001.

Sally Keeble: Statistical data recently supplied by the London boroughs with their housing strategy submissions indicate that 1,010 affordable homes (completions) were provided through Section 106 agreements in London for April 2000-April 2001. However, these figures are provisional and require further validation and may include housing units achieved by way of unilateral undertakings.
	In addition, we have commissioned detailed research into levels of affordable housing in London provided by Section 106 obligations.

Fishing Vessels

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many fishing vessels of over 12 metres have had an MCA sea worthiness test in each year for the last 10 years for which figures are available.

David Jamieson: The number of fishing vessels over 12 metres in registered length that have undergone a survey and been issued with a UK Fishing Vessel Safety Certificate in the last 10 years is as follows.
	
		
			 Year Number of surveys 
		
		
			 199091 508 
			 199192 581 
			 199293 550 
			 199394 564 
			 199495 395 
			 199596 361 
			 199697 399 
			 199798 376 
			 199899 274 
			 19992000 303 
			 200001 358

Fishing Vessels

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many fishing vessels of over 12 metres length are registered which are liable for (a) a mandatory MCA test and (b) a sea worthiness certificate.

David Jamieson: There are 1,236 fishing vessels over 12 metres in length registered in the UK. All these vessels are issued with a sea worthiness certificate in the form of a UK Fishing Vessel Safety Certificate and are subject to the mandatory tests associated with the certificate as appropriate to the individual vessels.

Fishing Vessels

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many fishing vessels of over 12 metres length have failed to pass their MCA sea worthiness test in each year for the past 10 years for which records are available.

David Jamieson: In practical terms no fishing vessel over 12 metres in registered length fails its sea worthiness test when presented for survey. Vessels presented for survey are issued with a list of defects that are rectified before the Fishing Vessel Safety Certificate is issued.

Alternative Fuels

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he is taking to prepare for the European Commission's draft directive target of 2 per cent. road fuel provision by biofuel by 2005.

David Jamieson: The draft Directive on the Promotion of biofuels for transport has yet to be discussed by member states, and it is premature to consider its implementation. The Government have already announced that biodiesel will attract a fuel duty rate of 20 pence per litre below the rate for ultra low sulphur diesel, to be introduced in Budget 2002. Bioethanol is one of the fuels to which the Government are offering support for research through piloting as part of the Green Fuels Challenge programme.

Alternative Fuels

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what criteria he has used to assess the environmental benefits of (a) wheat grain and (b) cellulosic biomass as source material for bioethanol production.

David Jamieson: The Government assess the environmental benefits of fuels including bioethanol produced from various feedstocks on a lifecycle basis. This includes consideration of air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts such as noise, waste, biodegradability and biodiversity. Bioethanol is one of the fuels to which the Government are offering support for research, through piloting, as part of the Green Fuels Challenge programme in order to foster the development of lower-carbon bioethanol.

Alternative Fuels

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent comparison he has made of the relative greenhouse gas emissions of (a) biodiesel, (b) bioethanol, (c) compressed natural gas and (d) liquid petroleum gas.

David Jamieson: The Government launched the Green Fuels Challenge in November 2000, consulting industry and environmental groups on the possible environmental and health and safety aspects of the range of alternative fuels, including biodiesel, bioethanol, natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas. The outcome of the first stage of the Challenge was announced in the 2001 Budget. The criteria used for the consultation and a summary of the Green Fuels Challenge preliminary results are available on DTLR's and DEFRA's websites.

London Underground

Bridget Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  how many stations on the London Underground will be refurbished as part of his Department's investment plans for the tube;
	(2)  how many miles of new track will be laid on the London Underground as part of his Department's investment plans for the tube.

David Jamieson: The Government's modernisation plans for the London Underground will deliver at least 13 billion investment over the next 15 years. Bidders have said that more than 50 stations will be modernised in the first 7 year period.

School Buses

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which local authorities in England have indicated that they have dropped the three for two rule regarding the seating of pupils under 14 years of age on scheduled bus services.

Sally Keeble: Seating arrangements on scheduled bus services, other than contract services for a local authority, are a matter for the operator subject to the relevant regulations and not for the local authority.
	I have no information on what arrangements are in place for bus services provided and contracted to local education authorities. This is a matter for local authorities and operators.

Planning Reform

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will publish the Green Paper on planning reform; and whether the Green Paper will consult on a change to the use classes order system of planning regulation.

Sally Keeble: I expect to publish the Green Paper by the end of the year. A separate consultation document will be issued in the new year relating to the use class order. These documents form part of a suite of consultation papers proposing comprehensive reform of the planning system.

Cornish

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the Government will complete their assessment of the case for specifying the Cornish language within the European Charter for regional or minority languages.

Sally Keeble: I can assure the hon. Member that Government's assessment of their position on Cornish in relation to the Charter is being given the most careful consideration. We share his interest in a timely conclusion to this work and have said we will do this as quickly as possible. This remains our aim.

Free Bus Passes (London)

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his policy is on the provision of free bus passes for pensioners in London.

Sally Keeble: Under the Transport Act 2000, the statutory minimum requirement for local authority concessionary fare schemes guarantees that pensioners and disabled people are entitled to half fares on local bus services, with a free bus pass. The London boroughs, however, have chosen to provide a more generous free travel scheme with free travel for their resident pensioners and disabled people.

Employment (Blackpool, North and Fleetwood)

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what funding he has provided (a) to encourage employment opportunities and (b) to regenerate industrial estates in the Blackpool, North and Fleetwood constituency in the last three years.

Sally Keeble: The constituency of Blackpool, North and Fleetwood has benefited from the award of 20 million funding in round two of the Single Regeneration Budget. The 2 million Business and Technology Park in the Moor Park area of Bispham was part funded by 600,000 from the SRB and has attracted 1.4 million of private sector investment. Its aim is to encourage inward investment and generate permanent jobs.

Rents

Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 13 November 2001, Official Report, column 616W, on rent levels, what information he has collated on the impact of his proposals on the average level of rents in inner London boroughs.

Sally Keeble: Initial results from the case study we commissioned in West London suggest that between 200001 and 201112 the average level of weekly rent will rise in real terms from 61 to 72 for council tenants in LB Hammersmith and Fulham and from 62 to 81 for tenants of Notting Hill Housing Trust.

Rents

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the effect of rent restructuring on constituencies with high housing prices.

Sally Keeble: We have reviewed our approach to the introduction of the rent reforms on new developments. We have concluded that it could lead to some anomalies between the rents on new and existing stock. We have therefore decided that restructured rents on new developments should be phased in alongside restructuring on the remainder of a landlord's stock.
	We recognise that there are potential problems associated with the small number of existing properties which would have very high rents under the reforms and are considering proposals for tackling them.

Older People (Discrimination)

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what action his Department has taken to tackle discrimination against older people.

Alan Whitehead: The Government are determined to tackle discrimination against older people and will continue to act to combat it wherever it is found.
	Our long-term integrated transport strategy is helping older people by delivering more accessible public transport, ensuring half price local bus fares for pensioners, and providing support for a wide range of flexible, community transport projects. We are also taking forward the recommendations contained in our audit of older people's transport requirements.

Home Ownership (Buckingham)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the level of home ownership in the Buckingham constituency in each of the last five years.

Sally Keeble: The level of home ownership in the Buckingham Constituency (which is the same area as covered by Aylesbury Vale district council) over the last five years is detailed in the table.
	
		
			  Year  Total number of dwellings in area Total number of private sector dwellings 
		
		
			 2001 64,545 54,760 
			 2000 63,687 53,648 
			 1999 63,229 52,885 
			 1998 62,516 52,203 
			 1997 61,225 50,772

Monocular Drivers

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether his Department maintains records on the safety record of monocular drivers.

David Jamieson: holding answer 19 November 2001
	The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions does not maintain records on the safety record of monocular drivers.

Employers' Insurance

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what statutory provisions govern the rights of employees to information on the employers liability compulsory insurance scheme.

Alan Whitehead: There are no statutory provisions governing the rights of employees to information under the Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 (the 1969 Act). So far as the insurance that an employer takes out to comply with the 1969 Act is concerned, regulation 5 of the Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Regulations 1998 made under the 1969 Act requires the employer to display one or more copies of the certificate of insurance at each place of business at which he employs any relevant employee of the class or description to which the certificate relates.

Employers' Insurance

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what statutory provisions govern the commercial confidentiality of information held by companies on employers' insurance liabilities.

Alan Whitehead: So far as I am aware, there are no statutory provisions specifically governing the commercial confidentiality of information held by companies on employers' insurance liabilities. Companies must, however, comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 in respect of personal and sensitive personal data which may be relevant to insurance liabilities and may be bound by contractual or other duties of confidentiality restricting disclosure.

Employers' Insurance

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many companies were prosecuted in the last five years for failing to display an ELCI certificate in the workplace.

Alan Whitehead: There are no known cases where a company has been prosecuted for not displaying an ELCI certificate. However, since April 1996 there have been 24 prosecutions by HSE of companies for failure to hold ELCI cover. When such failure occurs, it follows that the company has also failed to display a valid ELCI certificate.
	Apart from these cases there has been no known instance where an employer has failed to display an ELCI certificate after an inspector has requested him/her to do so.
	There are a further five prosecution cases awaiting court dates.

Employers' Insurance

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what statutory provisions govern the duty of employers to display an ELCI certificate in the workplace.

Alan Whitehead: Regulation 5 of the Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Regulations 1998. This requires an employer who has been issued with an ELCI certificate to display one or more copies of it at each place of business at which he employs any relevant employee of the class or description to which the certificate relates. Section 4 of the Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 provides for a person who fails to comply with a requirement to display copies of the certificate of insurance to be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale (currently 1,000).

Disabled Passengers

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on what his Department is doing to ensure that the UK transport network is accessible to those with (a) mobility problems and (b) other disabilities.

Sally Keeble: We are committed to providing an accessible public transport system in which people with a wide range of disabilities will have the same opportunities to travel as everyone else. Accessibility regulations for new trains, buses and coaches have been introduced under Part V of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Part III of the Act requires public transport infrastructure to be accessible to disabled people. From 2004 this will include the removal of physical barriers to access.
	The 10 Year Transport Plan introduced a new commitment to ensuring that access for disabled people is a condition of all new public investment in transport.

Traveline

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the promotion and use of the Traveline website.

David Jamieson: Traveline currently is primarily a telephone service offering route and timetable information on all forms of public transport. A website is being developed to supplement the telephone service. The website can be seen at www.traveline.org.uk. and links to all currently available public transport journey planners in the UK. During 2002, journey planners for more regions will become available and will be linked from the site. As coverage of these services becomes more comprehensive the national Traveline website will be given more active promotion.

Camping (Research)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was the cost to public funds of the research project conducted by Heriot-Watt University, the University of Bristol and the University of Cardiff into the implementation of Government guidance on managing unauthorised camping.

Sally Keeble: The cost of the research was 80,519.

Departmental Initiatives

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list for each (a) area-based and (b) other regeneration-related initiative for which his Department is responsible (i) the amount budgeted and (ii) the total expenditure in each financial year for the planned lifetime of each initiative (A) nationally and (B) in the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency.

Sally Keeble: Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions programmes contribute to the regeneration of all deprived neighbourhoods by helping to improve the quality of life of local people by reducing the gap between deprived and other areas and between different groups. Levels of funding for the initiatives listed by the Cabinet Office Regional Co-ordination Unit as being the responsibility of this Department are as follows:
	
		 million(5) 
		
			   199899 19992000 200001 200102 estimate 200203 plans 
		
		
			 Coalfields  2 15 26 15 
			 Community chest10 15 
			 Community empowerment fund12 12 
			 European regional development fund areas 229 278 246 255 254 
			 Neighbourhood management16 23 
			 Neighbourhood Renewal Fund200 300 
			 Neighbourhood Wardens2 3 
			 New Deal for Communities  4 35 94 350 
			 Single Regeneration Budget 561 692 725 851 767 
		
	
	(5) Rounded
	The Government Office for the North East is collecting information on regeneration funding within Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency and I will write to my hon. Friend when it is available.
	The objectives of the national DTLR regeneration initiatives are as follows:
	Coalfields
	To bring about the physical, social, economic and environmental regeneration of Coalfields. Support for the Coalfield Regeneration Trust covers the period 19992000 to 200506.
	Community Chest
	To support community involvement and activity in deprived neighbourhoods for up to three years.
	Community Empowerment Fund
	To support community and voluntary sector involvement in Local Strategic Partnerships for up to three years.
	European Regional Development Fund Areas
	To tackle economic regeneration by promoting the development of those regionslagging behind the rest of the European Union, redeveloping regions seriously affected by industrial decline; and supporting the adjustment of rural and urban areas facing new economic challenges. DTLR share of the ERDF programme covers the period 200006.
	Neighbourhood Management
	To help deprived communities and local services improve local outcomes, by improving and joining up local services, and making them more responsive to local needs. Support is provided up to seven years.
	Neighbourhood Renewal Fund
	To enable the 88 most deprived authorities to improve services, narrowing the gap between deprived areas and the rest of the country. Subject to review in SR2002.
	Neighbourhood Wardens
	Using Wardens to tackle the problems of our poorest neighbourhoods. Subject to review in SR2002.
	New Deal for Communities
	To tackle multiple deprivation in the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country, taking forwards the Government's commitment to combat social exclusion in the context of the National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal Action Plan. The lifetime of schemes is up to 10 years.
	Single Regeneration Budget
	To enhance the quality of life of local people in areas of need by reducing the gap between deprived and other areas, and between different groups. Schemes under each round have a lifetime up to seven years.
	Urban Regeneration Companies
	To lead and co-ordinate redevelopment and new investment in declining urban areas. URCs are new independent companies established by the relevant local authority, Regional Development Agency, English Partnerships (if appropriate), the private sector and other key partners. The lifetime for each URC is for the local partners to decide. Resources or powers are those that the local partners themselves are willing to commit.

Road Surfaces

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what research his Department has undertaken into the relative effectiveness of reducing noise levels of (a) porous asphalt and (b) this surface coating road surfaces.

Stephen Byers: My Department has researched the relative effectiveness of porous asphalt in reducing traffic noise levels from those generated by a conventional motorway asphalt surface for nearly 20 years. The specification for porous asphalt was developed using research into ways of increasing its durability, which was inevitably reduced by its porosity. One of the issues emerging from the longer- term research into porous asphalt has been the tendency for its performance to reduce as the pores become clogged.
	Thin surface coating road surfaces have been researched since these surfacings first became available in the early 1990s. A wide range of proprietary materials covered by this description has been subjected to a range of tests developed by the British Board of Agreement under the Highway Authorities Product Approval Scheme. The test of relative acoustic performance included within this scheme was developed from the procedure used in the research programme.

NAOMI Traffic Flow Model

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the projects for which the Highways Agency's NAOMI traffic flow model has been used in the last six months.

Stephen Byers: During the last six months, the NAOMI traffic model has been used to predict traffic flows for the following projects:
	The ORBIT multi-modal study, which covers the M25 corridor
	Proposals for service areas on the M25, M4 and M40.
	Additionally, during the last six months information from the NAOMI model has provided input to developing the traffic forecasts for the following projects:
	The Reading Area Transportation Study
	A simulation model of the M25 junctions 10 to 16
	Research into trip movements at motorway service areas
	A proposed motorway service area on the M27 at Meon Valley
	An investigation of M25 Junction 13 and Glantry roundabout
	Highways Agency development control
	An investigation of development opportunities in Thames Gateway.

NAOMI Traffic Flow Model

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the NAOMI traffic flow model was introduced by the Highways Agency; and what assessment has been made of its reliability and accuracy.

Stephen Byers: The NAOMI (New Assessment of Motorway Improvements) traffic flow model was introduced originally in 1995 and has been subject to several revisions and updates. The current version has been in use since September 2001. The reliability and accuracy of the model has been assessed using procedures contained in volume 12a of my Department's Design Manual for Roads and Bridges and passed as being fit for purpose as a regional scale model.

Public Transport (Wales)

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent discussions he has had with the National Assembly for Wales to achieve an integrated public transport system for Wales.

David Jamieson: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Transport met the Minister for the Environment of the National Assembly, Sue Essex, in July this year. At that meeting various items relating to achieving an integrated public transport system were discussed. Officials are in regular contact with the Assembly regarding developments which may affect devolved policy.

Rochdale District Council

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the funding of Rochford district council.

Alan Whitehead: This financial year, Rochford district council received a 3.9 per cent. increase in Government support. The Spending Review provided for continued good increases in grant for all authorities in the next two years. We will be announcing our proposals for funding for local government in 200203 at around the end of this month.

Turner and Newall Plc

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what investigations his Department has carried out into Turner and Newall plc in relation to employees' liability insurance cover since 1971; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Whitehead: None.

Congestion Charges

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to issue instructions to exempt (a) teachers, (b) fire fighters, (c) police officers and (d) nurses from payment of the congestion charges in London.

John Spellar: I have no plans to issue instructions to exempt the categories of road users mentioned by the hon. Member from the payment of congestion charges in London. It will be open to the Mayor of London to grant concessions on exemptions to his scheme if he judges it appropriate to do so.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Court Service Website

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the cost in 200001 was of the inclusion of the Lexicon Portal in the Court Service website.

Michael Wills: The cost in 200001 for the inclusion of the Lexicon Portal in the Court Service website totalled 80,700.

Court Building Programme

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the cost to public funds was in (a) 200001 and (b) 200102 of the court building programme.

Michael Wills: The cost of the 200001 court building programme was 8,519,779. The cost of the 200102 court building programme is anticipated to be 12,146,000.

Public Trust Office

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the cost is in 200102 of the Complaints Unit set up by the Public Trust Office.

Rosie Winterton: The Public Guardianship Office was created as a new executive agency on 1 April 2001, and has assumed the responsibilities of the Public Trust Office for looking after the financial affairs of people suffering from mental incapacity. The estimated administration costs of the Complaints Unit at the Public Guardianship Office will be 286,000 in 200102, including accommodation and common services costs.

Funds in Court: Unclaimed Balances

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement on his Department's response to the National Audit Office report Funds in Court: Unclaimed Balances.

Rosie Winterton: The National Audit Office report was followed by a hearing of the Public Accounts Committee. The Government gave their response to the report of the Public Accounts Committee in a Treasury minute dated 25 April 2001 (CM 5127).

Statutory Instruments

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment she has made of the cost to public funds of the statutory instruments introduced in 19992000; and if he will list them.

Rosie Winterton: A list of the statutory instruments has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. It includes those signed by or on behalf of the Lord Chancellor and laid before Parliament in the years 1999 and 2000, and also Orders in Council for which the Lord Chancellor's Department was responsible. A list of Northern Ireland statutory rules signed by or on behalf of the Lord Chancellor is also included.
	The exercise by the Lord Chancellor of a power granted to him in primary legislation to make rules, regulations or other statutory instruments is often a necessary step for the expenditure of public funds, but is not in itself a sufficient step. It is seldom if ever possible to say that the expenditure of any particular sum is attributable to, and only to, a particular statutory instrument.

PFI

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the expected savings to public funds from the Private Finance Initiative contracts signed by his Department in 200001;
	(2)  what Private Finance Initiative contracts have been signed by his Department in the current financial year.

Michael Wills: The Lord Chancellor's Department has not signed any Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts in either of these years. The Department does, however, provide financial support and other assistance to local authority PFI projects for magistrates courts buildings. The contract for the city of Manchester magistrates court, which was signed by Manchester city council in March 2001, is expected to save 3.25 million at today's prices over the 25 year contract. The contract for Derbyshire magistrates courts, which was signed in August 2001 by Derby city council and Derbyshire county council, is expected to save 10.2 million over the 25 year contract, again at today's prices.

Libra Project

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the cost is in 200102 of the Libra project.

Michael Wills: The estimated costs of the Libra project in 200102 amount to 26.5 million. This is made up of internal costs, payments to ICL for the rollout of the first phase of the project and payments by the Magistrates Courts Service for the ongoing usage of Libra.

Royal Courts of Justice

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the progress of and cost saving from the public-private partnership to procure a building adjacent to the new court complex and the Royal Courts of Justice for the location of headquarters staff.

Michael Wills: We have no public-private partnership to procure a building at or adjacent to the Royal Courts of Justice for headquarters staff.

Northern Ireland Court Service (IT Provision)

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement on the savings achieved by the Northern Ireland Court Service's public-private partnership agreement with ICL for the provision of IS/IT services.

Rosie Winterton: The Information Services and Information Technology Agreement between the Northern Ireland Court Service and ICL is a 10 year contract with the main savings and benefits, as identified in the business case, realised through the delivery of new operational systems. Specifically these are the Enforcement of Judgments System and the Integrated Court Operation System due for delivery in late 2001 and 2005 respectively.
	Savings since the signing of the contract, at current average costs, have totalled 274,000 with further savings to be achieved on the delivery of the Integrated Court Operations System. The contract has delivered a wide range of non-financial efficiencies with specific emphasis on supporting the Government's modernisation programme including a replacement ICT infrastructure, a corporate desktop and an intranet service.

J. W. Roberts Ltd.

John Battle: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of Mr. Justice Hart's reasons for accepting the petition of J. W. Roberts Ltd. in the High Court of Justice Chancery Division Companies Court (in the matter of the Insolvency Act 1986) heard on 1 October;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library the transcript of the hearing and decision of the petition of J. W. Roberts Ltd. in the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division, Companies Court heard on 1 October by Mr. Justice Hart.

Michael Wills: A transcript of the hearing of and decision on the petition of J. W. Roberts Ltd., one of the 133 cases heard by Mr. Justice Hart, on 1 October, will not be placed in the Library as this is not normal procedure. Transcripts of court proceedings, or parts of proceedings, are not routinely arranged unless requested by a superior court for the consideration of an appeal. However, the parties to the action, or any interested party, with the judge's consent, can order it. The judge has given his consent and it is now open to anyone to place an order for a transcript with the court reporters responsible for taking the verbatim record of the case. There is a charge for this service, although in cases of financial hardship this may be met from public funds. The order may be placed with the Court Reporting Unit, Royal Court Justice, Strand, London WC2A 2LL. Before deciding whether to place an order for the transcript an estimate of the cost should be requested, as this may be considerable.

J. W. Roberts Ltd.

John Battle: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will place in the Library the list of the companies Turner and Newall put into administration as a result of the hearing and decision on the petition of J. W. Roberts Ltd. in the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division Companies Court heard on 1 October.

Michael Wills: A list of the companies in the T and N Group in respect of which the administration orders were made on 1 October 2001 will not be placed in the Library. A central index of companies in administration is held on computer in the High Court of Justice. This index is available to anybody to search on payment of a fee of 5 for 15 minutes.

J. W. Roberts Ltd.

John Battle: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on what date J. W. Roberts petitioners and Turner and Newall plc first filed its application for administration under the Insolvency Act 1986.

Michael Wills: The petition was presented on 1 October 2001.

Community Legal Service

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many (a) public, (b) private, (c) charity and (d) non-governmental organisations are involved in community legal service partnerships in the (i) borough of Middlesbrough and the (ii) Redcar and Cleveland areas.

Rosie Winterton: The borough of Middlesbrough is covered by the Middlesbrough Community Legal Service Partnership which includes representatives from Middlesbrough borough council, the Benefits Agency, Teesside Magistrates Court, 21 local law firms and 24 non- governmental and charitable organisations, including Middlesbrough Citizens Advice Bureau.
	Redcar and Cleveland borough council is covered by the Redcar and Cleveland Community Legal Service Partnership which includes representatives from Redcar and Cleveland borough council, the Benefits Agency, 16 local law firms, and eight non-governmental and charitable organisations, including Redcar and Cleveland Citizens Advice Bureau.

Public Defenders

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to develop the concept of public defenders throughout the UK.

Michael Wills: Public defender offices are being piloted by the Legal Services Commission in the first phase of a four-year pilot which began in May 2001. Offices have already opened in Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Swansea and Birmingham. The 5th and 6th offices will be opened before April 2002. During and at the end of the four-year start-up period the Government will review the service and make decisions on its future development. The Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland Office are responsible for the administration of justice in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Freedom of Information Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what progress has been made in completing the review to (a) repeal and (b) amend (i) primary and (ii) secondary legislation under section 75 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; how many statutory bars have been scrutinised during this review; if he will list the titles of (A) primary and (B) secondary legislation which are to be repealed or amended under section 75 of the Act; when the review began; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: Over 300 separate pieces of legislation containing these statutory bars have been identified and are in the process of being reviewed in consultation with other Government Departments to establish which provisions may be repealed or amended. I will make a further report to the House when the review has been completed. Given the complexity of the legislation under review, however, it may be some time before a full statement can be given.

Scottish Executive

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what her policy is regarding consultations prior to the publication of proposals involving the transfer of powers to the Scottish Executive by (a) primary legislation and (b) Order in Council.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland on 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 748W.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Correspondence

Christopher Chope: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will provide a substantive reply to the letter of 31 July about public procurement from the hon. Member for Christchurch; and what is the explanation for the delay.

Christopher Leslie: The hon. Member's letter of 31 July, which refers to what advice the Cabinet Office gives to Government Departments and public sector procurement directors about the desirability of purchasing office furniture which has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, is the responsibility of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and it will be replying directly to the hon. Member shortly.
	The delay occurred due to an administrative error in the allocation of this case to the correct Government Department.

Appointments

Tim Collins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many appointments he has made to public bodies since 7 June; and how many are in his gift.

Christopher Leslie: Information about numbers of ministerial appointments to public bodies is included in the Cabinet Office's annual report, Public Bodies. Copies of this are placed in the Library of the House and the report is published on the Cabinet Office's internet website. The next edition of Public Bodies will be published around the end of the year.
	Between 7 June and 31 October 2001, the Deputy Prime Minister has made 10 such appointments. The total number of appointments in these bodies for which the Department is responsible is 269.
	Additionally, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Minister for Women is responsible for appointments to two public bodies within the Cabinet Office. Between 7 June and 31 October 2001, she has made two appointments out of a total of 31 in these bodies.

Special Advisers

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many special advisers leaving the Government since May 1997 have made applications before taking employment elsewhere to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Leslie: Special advisers are subject to the Business Appointment Rules set out in the Civil Service Management Code and departmental staff handbooks. They are required to make an application to their employing Department for permission to take up outside appointments under the criteria set out in the rules. Departmental Permanent Secretaries, who may consult the Cabinet Office or the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, take the decisions on applications from special advisers. Applications from the most senior staff are referred to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments. Information on the number of applications made by special advisers to Permanent Secretaries is not held centrally.

Parliamentary Questions

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 14 November 2001, Official Report, ref. 13819, what is the Official Report reference and column number.

Christopher Leslie: The Official Report reference and column number to the pursuant answer of 14 November 2001, ref. 13819 is Official Report, column 783W.

Equal Pay

Barbara Follett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action he has taken to promote the code of practice on equal pay in (a) the public sector and (b) the private sector.

Barbara Roche: The Code of Practice on Equal Pay was published in 1997 by the Equal Opportunities Commission. With Government support, the Commission has publicised the Code of Practice in both the public and the private sectors. Since then the pay gap has narrowed from 20 per cent. to 18 per cent. We have provided an extra 100,000 in funding for the Equal Opportunities Commission to support work with employers on building the capacity for them to do pay reviews, including developing software to help employers with computerised pay systems.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Findings from the Youth Justice Plans 200102

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the Youth Justice Board's report, Findings from the Youth Justice Plans 200102.

Beverley Hughes: The Youth Justice Board's report Findings from the Youth Justice Plans 200102 was published in August and copies have been placed in the Library. The Youth Justice Board was established in September 1998 to spearhead the reforms to the youth justice system. 154 multi-agency Youth Offending Teams (YOT) have been in operation across England and Wales since 1 April 2000, carrying out the reforms locally. Summaries of progress reports submitted by each individual YOT form the basis of this report. It shows the substantial achievements to date including: the transition to multi-agency working; meeting the Pledge to halve the time from arrest to sentence of persistent offenders; successful implementation of a range of new sentences supported by programmes designed to tackle individuals' offending behaviour, and innovative crime prevention measures in deprived areas.

World Cup (Licensing Hours)

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with chief constables on proposals by the Magistrates Association that public houses should be allowed to serve alcohol from 6 am to coincide with World Cup matches played by England in different time-zones.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	None. The Magistrates' Association have made no such proposals. Normal licensing law will apply during the period of the World Cup in 2002. Extensions of permitted licensing hours may be granted by licensing justices but only after taking account of the views of the chief officer of police for the area concerned.

Anthrax

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on precautions to be taken by (a) Government Departments and (b) the public in relation to the threat of anthrax attack.

John Denham: The Home Office is working very closely with the Department of Health on precautionary guidance that should be followed in relation to biological and chemical threats received by post including anthrax. The Home Office initially provided updated guidance in the form of a supplement to 'Bombs: Protecting People and Property' which was made available via the Home Office website. Departmental Security Officers in Government Departments have been issued with appropriate guidance by the Cabinet Office Security Division.
	Using the Home Office guidance as a starting point, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) were asked to prepare expanded guidance for members of the public, employers and workers on: general mail handling; identification of a suspect package; steps that should be taken if a suspect package is received or if somebody comes into contact with a biological or chemical substance and what to do if you are an employer. This information is now available on the website of the News Co-ordination Centre http://www.co-ordination.gov.uk (part of the Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat) and the HSE's own website. The guidance is also linked to other Government websites. The guidance will be kept under constant review in the light of developments worldwide.

Non-lethal Weapons

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent research his Department has undertaken on non-lethal weapons for use by the police in incidents involving (a) firearms and (b) other weapons as alternatives to firearms.

John Denham: The Home Office, in conjunction with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Northern Ireland Office, is currently reviewing, as a matter of priority, the range of less lethal technologies that might be appropriate for use by the police in situations of public disorder as alternatives to the baton round or, where the police are faced with an armed assailant, as an alternative to the use of firearms. In April we published a full account of the less lethal technologies available setting out the different kinds of equipment under examination. These include certain impact devices, long range chemical delivery devices, water cannon, electrical devices, disorientation devices, malodorants, and tranquillisers. Phase II of this work prioritising these less lethal technologies is nearing completion, and the results will be published shortly. Those alternatives selected for immediate further research will be subject to further testing and independent medical evaluation.
	Where, however, the police are faced with a situation where there is an immediate threat to life from a person with a firearm, firearms officers will be deployed to the scene and a firearms response will remain a primary option, in line with existing ACPO guidance.

Trial Drugs Policy (Brixton)

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the trial drugs policy in Brixton; and what plans there are to adopt a similar approach in other parts of the UK.

Bob Ainsworth: I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to questions from my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, Central (Mr. Jones) on 29 October 2001, Official Report, column 500W.

Young Offender Institutions

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the quality of (a) care and (b) treatment being offered to (i) mentally and (ii) personality disordered prisoners held in young offender institutions; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Prison Service establishments, including young offender institutions, and the health authorities in which they are situated, have been jointly assessing prisoners' health needs, including their mental health needs, and identifying appropriate services to meet them and effective means of delivery. This process, which had been very largely completed by the end of March 2001, was designed to lead to improvements in service provision, through the implementation of individual prison health plans, commencing from April 2001.
	The Department of Health's National Service Framework for Mental Health (1999) and the National Health Service (NHS) Plan (2000) make provision for improving mental health services to prisoners, in particular the development of community mental health teams working in prisons. Delivery of these commitments will require prisons and their local health partners to conduct specific mental health needs assessments and identify the services that will need to be put in place to meet any deficits.

Young Offender Institutions

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets he has set for mandatory drug testing at each young offender institution.

Beverley Hughes: The random mandatory drug testing targets for each male young offender institution and juvenile establishment are listed in the table.
	
		Percentage 
		
			 Establishment Mandatory drug testing target 
		
		
			 Ashfield  
			 Aylesbury 12 
			 Brinsford 19 
			 Castington 13 
			 Deerbolt 7.5 
			 Dover 12.1 
			 Feltham 22 
			 Glen Parva 15 
			 Hatfield 10.5 
			 Hindley 14 
			 Huntercombe 14 
			 Lancaster Farms 6 
			 Northallerton 12 
			 Onley 5 
			 Portland 8.5 
			 Reading 18.5 
			 Stoke Heath 8 
			 Swinfen Hall 7.5 
			 Thorn Cross 15 
			 Werrington 10 
			 Wetherby 8 
		
	
	Ashfield young offender institution is a private sector establishment. Financial penalties are incurred for each guilty adjudication following a positive random mandatory drug test.

Young Offender Institutions

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) suicides and (b) incidents of self-harm have taken place at each young offender institution in (a) 199697, (b) 199798, (c) 199899, (d) 19992000, (e) 200001 and (f) 200102 to date.

Beverley Hughes: The available figures for each male young offender institution and juvenile establishment are listed in the tables. I regret that figures on self-harm are not available for the financial years 199697 and 199798 as data were not recorded centrally until January 1998.
	
		Numbers of suicides in young offender institutions by financial year
		
			 Establishment 199697 199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102(6) Total 
		
		
			 Aylesbury 1 1  3 2  7 
			 Brinsford 1   4 2 1 8 
			 Castington2   2 
			 Dover  1 1 
			 Feltham 1 2   1 1 5 
			 Glen Parva 3  2 1 2  8 
			 Hindley 2  1 1 1  5 
			 Northallerton  1 12 
			 Onley1   1 
			 Portland 1  1   1 3 
			 Reading  2 1  1  4 
			 Stoke Heath   11 
			 Swiffen Hall 3  3 
			 Wetherby1 1 1 3 
			  
			 Total 12 7 7 13 10 4 53 
		
	
	(6) To date
	
		Numbers of self harm incidents in young offenders institutions by financial year
		
			 Establishment 199899 19992000 200001 200102(7) Total 
		
		
			 Ashfield  20 156 77 253 
			 Aylesbury 4 121 84 5 214 
			 Brinsford 37 43 43 14 139 
			 Castington 34 67 89 46 238 
			 Deerbolt 4 3 11 1 20 
			 Dover 4 2  1 7 
			 Feltham 64 30 38 13 145 
			 Glen Parva 56 67 78 24 233 
			 Hatfield 2 1 1  4 
			 Hindley 12 7 3 5 27 
			 Huntercombe 2 5 8 3 19 
			 Lancaster Farms 29 26 20 9 87 
			 Northallerton 25 27 43 14 111 
			 Onley   5 24 29 
			 Portland 7 15 29 13 65 
			 Reading 36 12 2 13 71 
			 Stoke Heath 23 12 19 11 72 
			 Swiffen Hall 9 7 12 4 32 
			 Thorn Cross 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Werrington 5 2 2  17 
			 Wetherby 3 3 10 9 25 
			  
			 Total 356 470 653 286 1,808 
		
	
	(7) To date

Drug Addiction Statistics

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) registered addicts and (b) non- registered addicts of (i) cocaine and (ii) heroin there were in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Bob Ainsworth: The term 'registered addict' has no generally agreed definition in the United Kingdom.
	The Home Office previously collected and published information relating to individuals notified to the Addicts Index. Since the Addicts Index closed at the end of April 1997, there are no current figures from that source. However, the Department of Health publishes information on the number of persons presenting to drug misuse services for treatment in Great Britain who are reported to the Drug Misuse Databases; this includes persons with a main drug of misuse of heroin or cocaine. Figures are only available for the period AprilSeptember 1993 onwards, and are given in Table 1.
	The number of addicts (including those not in treatment) is unknown. Traditionally, a multiplier method was used based on the Addicts Index. However, a more robust approach has been developed recently by a group of researchers. The findings are given in Table 2. Although there are estimates for problematic opiate use (which is mostly heroin-related), no information is presented for cocaine.
	
		Table 1Number of persons presenting for treatment at drug agencies, with heroin or cocaine reported as the main drug, during six-month periods ending 30 September 1993 to 30 September 2000, in Great Britain
		
			   Main drug of misuse  
			 Six-month period ending Heroin Cocaine 
		
		
			 30 September 1993 8,643 512 
			 31 March 1994 9,746 737 
			 30 September 1994 11,191 783 
			 31 March 1995 12,282 903 
			 30 September 1995 13,400 1,074 
			 31 March 1996 14,488 1,015 
			 30 September 1996 16,621 894 
			 31 March 1997 18,285 1,053 
			 30 September 1997 14,749 959 
			 31 March 1998 16,390 1,178 
			 30 September 1998 18,994 1,709 
			 31 March 1999 20,027 1,693 
			 30 September 1999 21,389 2,153 
			 31 March 2000 23,824 2,121 
			 30 September 2000 24,759 2,116 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health series of Statistical Bulletins; the most recent is Statistics from the Regional Drug Misuse Databases for six months ending September 2000.
	
		Table 2Summary of 1996 United Kingdom prevalence estimates for drug use based on multiplier methods and household survey data
		
			 Method Form of drug use Estimate 
		
		
			 Multiple indicator method Problematic drug users 268,253 
			 Treatment demographic method Problematic opiate users 162,544 
			 Treatment coverage method Problematic opiate users 243,820 
			 HIV multiplier Injecting drug users 161,200 
			 Mortality multiplier Drug users at risk of overdose related death 161,133 
			 Household Survey data Opiates+ users 251,000 
			 Household Survey data Injecting drug users 168,905 
			 Government estimate Severely dependent drug misusers 100,000200,000 
		
	
	Source:
	Table 5, Frischer M, Hickman M, Kraus L, Mariani F, and Wiessing L. (2001). 'A comparison of different methods for estimating the prevalence of problematic drug misuse in Great Britain'. Addiction, 96, 14651476.

Organised Crime (Russia)

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are in place to ensure regular Russian authority co-operation in helping to track Russian organised crime in the United Kingdom.

John Denham: There has been close co-operation between law enforcement authorities in the United Kingdom and Russia in recent years, which has been valuable to both parties. The United Kingdom has two bilateral agreements with Russia, both inter-agency and intergovernmental. We have a joint fiscal, crime and drugs liaison officer based in Moscow who works closely with his counterparts in Russian law enforcement agencies. Senior United Kingdom law enforcement officials regularly visit to maintain links at the highest level. Both Russia and the United Kingdom are members of the G8 Lyon Group, which focuses on transnational serious and organised crime. The United Kingdom will continue to work closely with Russia through bilateral and European initiatives to combat serious and organised crime originating in Russia and reduce its impact on the United Kingdom.

Crime Prevention Schemes (North-west)

David Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which local authorities in the north- west of England have not received funding for both CCTV and street warden schemes.

John Denham: The Home Office Crime Reduction Programme Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) initiative is funding public area CCTV schemes to a potential value of 170 million across England and Wales. Bids have been assessed, using pre-formulated guidelines, to ensure they: meet national and local crime reduction priorities; are technically sound; have links to a wider package of crime reduction measures, and provide value for money. The table lists those local authority areas that submitted (as part of local crime and disorder reduction partnerships) unsuccessful bids. Some of these authorities also submitted successful bids.
	The Street Warden Programme, funded by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) and run through the Neighbourhood and Street Wardens Programme (a joint Home Office/DTLR unit based in DTLR), is to provide 25 million towards a pilot programme of Street Wardens schemes across England. The programme is funded solely by DTLR. The table lists those local authority areas that submitted (or from which another body such as a Housing Association submitted) unsuccessful bids. Again some of these authorities also submitted successful bids.
	
		
			  CCTV bids Street wardens bids  
			 Local authority  Successful Unsuccessful Successful Unsuccessful 
		
		
			 Allerdale  *  * 
			 Blackburn and Darwen  *  * 
			 Blackpool  *  * 
			 Bolton * *  * 
			 Burnley  *   
			 Carlisle * *  * 
			 Cheshire  *   
			 Chester * * * * 
			 Copeland * *  * 
			 Crewe and Nantwich * *   
			 Cumbria* 
			 Eden* 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston  *   
			 Fylde  *  * 
			 Halton * * * * 
			 Hyndburn  *   
			 Knowsley * *  * 
			 Lancashire  *   
			 Liverpool * * * * 
			 Macclesfield * * * * 
			 Manchester * * * * 
			 Oldham * *  * 
			 Pendle and Burnley  *   
			 Rochdale * *  * 
			 Rossendale  *   
			 Salford * *   
			 Sefton * *  * 
			 South Ribble  *  * 
			 St. Helens* 
			 Stockport  *   
			 Tameside * *   
			 Trafford  *   
			 Vale Royal * *   
			 Warrington  *   
			 West Lancashire* 
			 Wigan * *  * 
			 Wirral*

Dr. Ali Dizaei

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many telephone conversations of Dr. Ali Dizaei, legal adviser to the National Black Police Association, were (a) recorded and (b) transcribed by the investigation team; and what proportion contained legally privileged information.

John Denham: I would refer the hon. Member to my letter to him of 9 November, a copy of which is in the Library.

Dr. Ali Dizaei

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if surveillance of Dr. Ali Dizaei included the recording of his telephone calls with members of the media.

John Denham: I refer the hon. Member to my letter to him of 9 November, which indicates that the Metropolitan police have confirmed that the practice in relation to calls made by Superintendent Dizaei was that all calls made by him on the Metropolitan police service telephone network were recorded.

Sex Offenders (Buckinghamshire)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convicted sex offenders are resident in the Buckingham constituency.

Beverley Hughes: Until recently data on the number of registered sex offenders were collated bi-annually on a national basis from the police national computer (PNC). The most recent national statistics concerning sex offender registration are shown in the table. However, this arrangement has been overtaken by guidance issued by the Home Office in respect of the statutory provisions in Section 67 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000. The guidance requires information about the number of registered sex offenders in each police area to be published. This will take place from April 2002 and local systems are being put in place to deliver it. Until these systems are in place such information could only be obtained by a specific exercise by the particular police force concerned which would lead to disproportionate costs.
	After April 2002 such figures will be available for each police authority area. However, this will not necessarily be the same as the Parliamentary constituency.
	
		Sex offenders act 1997Statistics(8)
		
			  September 2000 March 2001 Increase Percentage change 
		
		
			 Number of offenders with a requirement to register 13,809 15,148 1,339 +9.7 
			 Number registered 13,474 14,813 1,379 +10.3 
			 Number not registered(9) 375 (2.7%) 335 (2.2%) -40 -10.6 
			 Compliance rate (percentage) 97.28 97.78 0.5 +0.5 
		
	
	(8) Statistics compiled by Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) from a PNC
	(9) Percentages given in brackets are a fraction of the number of offenders with a registration document

Heroin

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the percentage of heroin imported into Britain that originates from (a) Taliban controlled Afghanistan, (b) Northern Alliance controlled Afghanistan, (c) Burma and (d) other countries.

Bob Ainsworth: In the years prior to the ban on opium production introduced by the Taliban in July 2000 about 95 per cent. of Afghanistan's annual opium production originated in Taliban controlled areas. We estimate that over 90 per cent. of heroin which was imported to the United Kingdom was made from opium produced in Afghanistan. The amounts originating from opium produced in other parts of the world in the same years was very small.

CCTV (Dudley)

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the impact of CCTV on the level of crime in Dudley town centre and Sedgley.

John Denham: Police operational experience and various other research studies show that Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) has considerable crime reduction and detection potential, particularly when used as part of a wider strategy.
	Under round one of the Crime Reduction Programme CCTV Initiative, the Home Office funded a CCTV scheme in Sedgley town centre costing 25,450 and one in Stafford Street Car Park, Dudley town centre, costing 46,342. These came into operation in December 2000 and January 2001 respectively.
	The Home Office has made no formal evaluation of the effectiveness of CCTV in either of these areas. However analysis by the local police suggests that CCTV has contributed to the reduction in recorded crime of 13.6 per cent. in Dudley and 22.8 per cent. in Sedgley between June 2000 and June 2001. There will be a more detailed review of the effectiveness of the Home Office funded schemes after the first full year of operation.

Salah Idris

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the role of Salah Idris in security companies engaged at sensitive sites in the United Kingdom.

John Denham: This issue was raised in another place on 9 October 2000 and 3 May this year. The position remains unchanged.

Firearms

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much he estimates has been payable under the firearms compensation scheme.

John Denham: There were 72,000 claims received from 55,000 individuals who handed in 162,198 handguns and 700 tonnes of ammunition under the terms of the firearms compensation scheme.
	Compensation payments currently stand at just over 90 million.

Firearms

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he will take to ensure that lessons can be learned from incidents involving the police use of firearms.

John Denham: Under section 79 (1) of the Police Act 1996 I have requested the Police Complaints Authority to report to me on the lessons to be learned from recent incidents. The terms of reference of that review will be:
	To consider the lessons to be learned from investigations supervised by the Police Complaints Authority since January 1998 into incidents in which shootings by police occurred and which resulted in death or injury, with particular regard to:
	The planning, control and conduct of those operations;
	The way in which the concerns of the bereaved families were addressed, and how they were kept informed of the progress of the investigation;
	The training and skill needs of police officers involved in such operations, particularly at command level.
	The Police Complaints Authority have already begun work on this review, and I have asked them to report within six months. The report will be laid before Parliament and published.

Firearms

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statistics he collates on the time for applications for firearms and shotgun licences to be processed, from the time they are submitted to the time they are approved and returned to the applicant by firearms departments of police forces.

John Denham: The Home Office statistical bulletin on firearm certificates provides information on the overall number of certificates on issue or refused. There is no routine collection of statistics on processing times. The collection of such management information is a matter for individual chief officers of police who are responsible for administering the certification process.

Firearms

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines he issues on the number of people employed in firearms departments of police forces; and what steps he takes to ensure that these are complied with.

John Denham: None. It is for individual chief officers of police to determine how particular departments should be staffed.
	Under the provision of the Local Government Act 1999 all forces are required to carry out a five year rolling programme of best value reviews of all areas of business. The outcome is examined by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in accordance with their inspection protocols and the results made available through the appropriate police authority.

Departmental Events

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) national and (b) international awareness events his Department has participated in since June 1997 in the form of (i) sponsorship, (ii) departmental attendance, (iii) similar departmental activities and (iv) a message of support.

David Blunkett: Home Office Ministers and officials participate in a wide range of national and international events in support of Home Office policies, both in the United Kingdom and internationally. Our aim is to build a safe, just and tolerant society and the Home Office is involved in a wide range of initiatives to support this. To set out a full list of all these events would incur disproportionate cost, so I am providing an overview of Home Office activity to show how we are seeking to achieve this aim.
	Examples of Home Office initiatives include participation by Ministers and officials in crime reduction initiatives and conferences, such as the Neighbourhood Watch annual conference; participation in criminal justice and policing conferences, such as the annual conferences of the Association of Chief Police Officers, Police Superintendents' Association and the Police Federation. The Home Office, in conjunction with community and voluntary sector organisations, is also leading the way to promote active communities in the United Kingdom. The Home Office has sponsored and attended a range of voluntary sector activities, such as the annual Philip Lawrence Awards, and the launch of Parents' Week in October 2001. An important area is promoting race equality and ministerial colleagues and I have supported and attended a number of conferences and events to underline the Government's commitment to racial equality and effective race relations. The Home Office also supported the 1997 European Year against Racism and the United Nations' World Conference on Racism in 2001.
	On the international front, Home Office Ministers and officials regularly attend European Union Councils, working groups and other activities in the conduct of justice and home affairs business and promoted a range of events during the United Kingdom presidency of the European Union in 1998. Officials and police representatives are also engaged in a wide range of co-operation and training with other countries.
	A key objective for the United Kingdom is to ensure that the accession of new member states to the European Union does not adversely affect the safety of our citizens. The Home Office is involved in Twinning, a European Union-funded programme which enables experts from current and future European Union member states to work in partnership, sharing expertise and implementing the candidates' new European Union-compliant legislation. For example last year we successfully implemented a project to improve the quality of Poland's management of its eastern border and the effectiveness of its police force. Experts from the United Kingdom Forensic Science Service, National Criminal Intelligence Service and National Crime Squad worked with Dutch, French and German colleagues to deliver training and advice that will have a real and lasting effect.
	The Home Office has led projects in the Czech Republic to improve relations with the Roma community and to help their authorities combat organised and financial crime. In conjunction with our law enforcement agencies, we are also leading projects in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Lithuania.
	In a major step towards stemming the flow of illegal immigrants to Europe, the first team of European Union immigration experts has started work in Sarajevo. The team, the majority British immigration officials, will work alongside colleagues from the Bosnian State Border Service, providing on-the-job training and advice.
	In July 2000, the anti-drugs twinning project between the United Kingdom and Bulgaria (European Union Phare sponsored) was launched in Sofia and was attended by Home Office officials.

Credit Card Fraud

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to tackle debit and credit card fraud.

John Denham: The Government take the problem of card fraud very seriously and are currently working closely with the finance and retail sectors and the police to establish and promote best practice in protecting cards and introduce ways of preventing this type of fraud.
	One major initiative is the planned introduction of microchips into payment cards to help authentication and the introduction of cardholder verification system using a Personal Identification Number (PIN) code in place of signatures to confirm the user is genuine. This commitment to phase in Chip and PIN was given at the third Home Office seminar on reducing cheque and credit card fraud in July. The banking industry anticipates that the phasing in of Chip and PIN technology by the end of 2004 will eliminate more than 80 per cent. of plastic card fraud.
	Another initiative currently being considered is the setting up of a pilot dedicated joint police and industry national cheque and plastic card fraud squad.
	In addition to this a working group of police and officials has been set up to consider ways of improving the response to all types of fraud.

Data Retention

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Horrocks report on data retention; and when it will be published.

John Denham: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr. Allan) on 1 November 2000, Official Report, column 849W.

Women Prisoners (Pregnancies)

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many women prisoners had a termination to a pregnancy during 2000;
	(2)  how many women prisoners had (a) stillborn babies and (b) miscarriages in each year since 1990.

Beverley Hughes: Information about stillbirths and miscarriages is not available. In 199899, the last year for which the relevant data were collected centrally, 17 women prisoners were reported as having been referred for a termination.

Metropolitan Police (Without Prejudice Payments)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Metropolitan police paid out, in the latest year for which figures are available, by way of without prejudice payments to individuals who had lodged a complaint against the force; how many individuals received payment; what was the highest payment made; and what was the average payment made.

John Denham: holding answer 15 November 2001
	The Commissioner informs me that in 200001 2,318,000 was paid by the Metropolitan Police Service as payments without prejudice in response to 220 civil actions or threatened actions against alleged police malpractice. As an action may involve more than one individual it is not possible to give the exact number of individuals that received payment. The highest payment was 200,000 and the average payment was 13,962.

Under-age Drinking/Antisocial Behaviour

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect of the (a) Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 and (b) Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 on (i) under-age drinking and (ii) antisocial behaviour; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 gives the police important powers to confiscate alcohol from under-age drinkers in public places. The view of the Association of Chief Police Officers is that these powers have proved to be effective in helping the police to combat disorder and nuisance arising from alcohol consumption by young people in public places. The law was further strengthened by the Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000, which tightened the position relating to the sale and purchase of alcohol to or on behalf of persons under 18.
	The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 includes important new provisions relating to under-age drinking. It will place a duty on retailers to take positive steps to ensure that customers are 18 or over, and it will give the police and trading standards officers the power to undertake test purchasing, using minors, to enforce the law against the sale of alcohol to under 18s. We expect these provisions, which we are planning to bring into effect on 1 December 2001, to go further in restricting young people's access to alcohol, which so often leads on to antisocial behaviour.
	In addition, sections 12 to 16 of the 2001 Act, which came into effect on 1 September, provide local authorities with an adoptive power to designate public places where it will become an offence to continue to drink alcohol after being warned by a police officer not to do so. This adoptive power replaces, and builds on, the model Home Office byelaw which was adopted by 113 local authorities to restrict antisocial drinking in public places.

Drug Dealers (Seized Assets)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the value was of the assets seized from convicted drug dealers in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Bob Ainsworth: The receipts realised from confiscation orders in England and Wales made in respect of legislation for drug trafficking offences under the Drug Trafficking Act 1994 and the Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986 for the last five years for which figures are available is as follows:
	
		
			 Year  
		
		
			 199596 5,343,000 
			 199697 7,415,000 
			 199798 9,458,000 
			 199899 10,476,000 
			 19992000 9,333,000

Traffic Penalties

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the outcome of his consultation on road traffic penalties.

John Denham: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr. Rendel) on 31 October 2001, Official Report, column 728W.

Atomic Energy Police Force

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers in the atomic energy constabulary are licensed to use firearms; and what conditions apply to their use of firearms beyond licensed nuclear facilities.

Brian Wilson: I have been asked to reply.
	The UKAEA Constabulary (UKAEAC) currently has 365 authorised firearms officers. UKAEAC adheres to national standards in the performance of its duties in relation to the carriage and use of firearms both on and off licensed nuclear facilities. Such standards are set out in the UKAEAC instruction manual on the use of firearms which complies fully with guidelines issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers of England and Wales, and Scotland.

HEALTH

IT Management

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total expenditure on IT management in the NHS Executive in each of the last five financial years.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 22 October 2001
	The policy directorates of the national health service executive all had some interest in information technology management either for central data collection and processing or to support policy initiatives. The overall information management and technology policy was co-ordinated by the information policy unit and before that the information management group. The total expenditure however across the whole NHS executive was not separately collected.

Perinatal Services

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many intensive care perinatal beds there were in each health authority, in each of the past 10 years.

Hazel Blears: Information on the overall number of critical care beds is available in the Library and is available on the Department's website: www.doh.gov.uk/ hospitalactivity. Data on the number of perinatal intensive care beds are not collected.

Radiotherapy

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 17 October 2001, Official Report, column 1241W, how many hospitals have received new radiotherapy equipment in the last two years paid for out of direct NHS funds.

John Hutton: holding answer 29 October 2001
	Information held centrally identifies 19 national health service trusts that have taken delivery of radiotherapy equipment (linear accelerators and simulators) over the past two years excluding those linear accelerators funded by the New Opportunities Fund. NHS trusts may purchase equipment through the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency; however it is not mandatory for NHS trusts to use NHS PASA and the relevant purchasing information in these instances would not be captured. In addition to this, some NHS trusts will have purchased other radiotherapy equipment for which comprehensive information is not available centrally.
	Between 2000 and 2003 the Treasury Capital Modernisation Fund will fund at least 40 treatment planning systems and 24 simulators for radiotherapy provision.

Cancer

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the difference in cancer survival rates between the UK and other European countries; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 31 October 2001
	The NHS Cancer Plan detailed that while other developed countries have broadly similar incidence of cancer, there is evidence to suggest that, for many cancers, survival rates for patients diagnosed a decade ago are lower in this country than in comparable European countries. The actions set out in the plan will mean that England will have the fastest improvement in cancer services across Europe over the next five years and eventually a reduction in the death rate from cancer among people aged under 75 years by at least 20 per cent. by 2010.

Dental Services

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of those aged 18 years and over were registered with a general dental service dentist in (a) each health authority and (b) in total in England for the last two years for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: The percentage of the population aged 18 years and over registered with a general dental service dentist is given in the table for September 2000 and September 2001 by health authority in England. Registrations last for 15 months from the month in which a patient attends. They are renewed when a patient returns to the dentist. Patients attending occasionally are included only for 15 months after attendance.
	
		Number of adult registrations as a percentage of adult population(10) at 30 September 2000 and 30 September 2001England -- Percentage
		
			   30 September  
			 Health Authority within region  2001 2000 
		
		
			 England 43.7 43.7 
			
			 Northern and Yorkshire 49.4 49.3 
			 Bradford 48.3 48.9 
			 Calderdale and Kirklees 52.8 52.8 
			 County Durham and Darlington 47.9 48.0 
			 East Riding and Hull 42.4 41.9 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside 52.4 51.1 
			 Leeds 47.2 47.8 
			 Newcastle and North Tyneside 48.9 50.2 
			 North Cumbria 47.2 46.0 
			 North Yorkshire 49.5 49.3 
			 Northumberland 49.5 48.8 
			 Sunderland 48.5 47.3 
			 Tees 57.7 57.0 
			 Wakefield 50.8 51.5 
			 Trent 49.3 48.8 
			 Barnsley 50.7 50.6 
			 Doncaster 55.9 55.0 
			 Leicestershire 46.0 43.8 
			 Lincolnshire 50.4 49.5 
			 North Derbyshire 41.0 40.2 
			 North Nottinghamshire 55.8 54.8 
			 Nottingham 52.3 53.1 
			 Rotherham 47.9 47.1 
			 Sheffield 52.9 53.6 
			 Southern Derbyshire 44.8 45.4 
			 South Humber 49.6 48.9 
			
			 West Midlands 42.8 42.8 
			 Birmingham 46.3 46.7 
			 Coventry 45.6 44.5 
			 Dudley 46.1 46.1 
			 Herefordshire 47.7 49.3 
			 North Staffordshire 39.1 38.0 
			 Sandwell 51.5 51.2 
			 Shropshire 34.2 35.6 
			 Solihull 34.1 35.0 
			 South Staffordshire 40.3 40.9 
			 Walsall 42.1 42.7 
			 Warwickshire 39.1 37.2 
			 Wolverhampton 47.8 48.0 
			 Worcestershire 45.1 45.0 
			 North West 48.5 49.0 
			 Bury and Rochdale 45.8 45.5 
			 East Lancashire 41.2 46.3 
			 Liverpool 47.1 47.6 
			 Manchester 51.0 51.8 
			 Morecambe Bay 48.4 47.4 
			 North Cheshire 48.0 48.2 
			 North West Lancashire 49.1 50.3 
			 Salford and Trafford 47.4 49.3 
			 Sefton 53.2 53.5 
			 South Cheshire 47.9 46.5 
			 South Lancashire 42.4 40.3 
			 St Helens and Knowsley 47.2 46.8 
			 Stockport 55.7 57.1 
			 West Pennine 48.2 48.7 
			 Wigan and Bolton 51.2 51.5 
			 Wirral 56.4 55.7 
			
			 Eastern 45.1 45.0 
			 Bedfordshire 37.9 38.4 
			 Cambridgeshire 40.7 39.6 
			 Hertfordshire 46.2 46.4 
			 Norfolk 48.1 46.7 
			 North Essex 46.3 46.9 
			 South Essex 41.1 41.5 
			 Suffolk 52.8 53.0 
			
			 London 38.0 38.2 
			 Barking and Havering 38.8 38.8 
			 Barnet, Enfield and Haringey 35.6 35.0 
			 Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich 32.8 32.6 
			 Brent and Harrow 44.0 44.1 
			 Camden and Islington 45.6 46.6 
			 Croydon 38.2 39.1 
			 Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow 40.0 38.8 
			 East London and The City 50.0 50.5 
			 Hillingdon 31.8 33.1 
			 Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster 28.7 30.5 
			 Kingston and Richmond 26.7 28.0 
			 Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham 39.9 40.0 
			 Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth 38.7 38.9 
			 Redbridge and Waltham Forest 42.9 43.1 
			   
			 South East 38.1 38.3 
			 Berkshire 29.1 31.9 
			 Buckinghamshire 29.7 30.3 
			 East Kent 38.9 38.2 
			 East Surrey 35.0 35.6 
			 East Sussex, Brighton and Hove 44.1 44.4 
			 Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and SE Hampshire 39.4 40.0 
			 North and Mid Hampshire 40.9 40.5 
			 Northamptonshire 51.1 51.2 
			 Oxfordshire 31.4 30.0 
			 Southampton and South West Hampshire 44.5 45.2 
			 West Kent 36.6 35.3 
			 West Surrey 35.6 36.2 
			 West Sussex 41.5 40.8 
			
			 South and West 42.5 42.6 
			 Avon 45.0 44.7 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 38.2 37.0 
			 Dorset 48.5 49.5 
			 Gloucestershire 28.2 29.9 
			 North and East Devon 49.1 48.8 
			 Somerset 46.7 48.6 
			 South and West Devon 44.1 42.6 
			 Wiltshire 37.6 37.6 
		
	
	(10) Population figures used are Office for National Statistics 2000 mid-year population estimates.

Dental Services

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to increase the number of (i) dental practices and (ii) dentists in (a) Berkshire and (b) Slough;
	(2)  how many NHS dentists there were in the Berkshire constituencies in (a) 1992, (b) 1997 and (c) 2001.

Hazel Blears: The number of general dental service dentists in Berkshire health authority is shown in the table at 30 September for the years (a) 1992, (b) 1997 and (c) 2001. The figures cover dentists whose main work is in the Berkshire health authority area. Data by constituency are not available centrally.
	
		
			 September Number of GDS dentists 
		
		
			 1992 251 
			 1997 280 
			 2001 313 
		
	
	The number of general dental service dentists in the Berkshire health authority area has increased by 33 in the four years between September 1997 and September 2001. There were 125 general dental service practices in Berkshire on 30 September 2001 of which 45 were in Slough.
	Berkshire health authority has developed an action plan for improving access to national health service dentistry in the county. The plan included proposals to encourage local dental practitioners to apply for additional dental care development funding. The health authority is also working with practitioners wishing to develop new or additional surgeries.
	A personal dental service pilot is due to open in Slough shortly.

Dental Services

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of people are registered for NHS dental care (a) in England and (b) in the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland East, constituency.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 19 November 2001
	60 per cent. of the population in Tees Health Authority were registered with a general dental service dentist at the end of September 2001. The proportion in England was 47 per cent. Information is not available at constituency level.

Ambulance Services

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the proposed merger of Hampshire and Surrey ambulance services;
	(2)  what representations he has received from community health councils about the proposed merger of Hampshire and Surrey ambulance services;
	(3)  if he will list the organisations other than community health councils which have made representations (a) in favour and (b) against the proposed merger of Hampshire and Surrey ambulance services.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 9 November 2001
	There has been a public consultation on proposals to establish new ambulance trusts in the south-east region including one to establish a new trust serving Hampshire and Surrey.
	The period of consultation ended on 7 September. There has been a large response to the proposals.
	With regard to the proposals for Hampshire and Surrey, all 10 community health councils covering the area wrote jointly expressing their opposition to the proposals. Several also wrote individual letters of opposition.
	A total of 34 organisations and individuals responded specifically to the proposals for Hampshire and Surrey, in addition to the CHCs. Of these, eight supported the proposals, 22 opposed them and four set out reservations, without opposing them. Copies of all written responses to the consultation will be placed in the Library.
	Ministers are currently considering the responses. A decision on the review will be made taking account of the comments received.

Ambulance Services

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost of the recent consultation on the future of Hampshire ambulance service.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 16 November 2001
	The information requested is not available centrally.

Ambulance Services

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to provide Government funding for the provision of air ambulance services in (a) rural areas across the United Kingdom and (b) Lincolnshire.

Hazel Blears: Air ambulances can have a role in delivering emergency care in rural areas and where road access is a problem. However, in 1995, the Department commissioned Sheffield university to report on air ambulances. The report failed to show clinical or cost benefits which would justify national health service investment. Currently, no air ambulance service receives public funding, although, in most cases the NHS continues to provide fully trained paramedics to crew these aircraft when they respond to emergencies. In recognition of growing public interest in this subject, further research has been commissioned into the contribution of air ambulances to the care and transportation of seriously ill patients in a modern NHS.
	The provision and funding of air ambulance services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are matters for the devolved Assemblies.

NHS Records

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the timescale of the police investigation into the death of a patient due to a blocked oxygen pipe at Broomfield hospital, Chelmsford in July and other alleged related incidents within the NHS is affected by record keeping with regard to (a) off duty rota records, (b) the off duty book, (c) weekly staff timesheets, and (d) agency timesheets; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 15 November 2001
	The police are looking at staff duty records as part of the investigation into the death of a patient due to a blocked oxygen pipe.
	The police acknowledge that this is a long and painstaking investigation which is likely to take some time.
	The Department and the national health service are co-operating fully with the police in this matter.

NHS Catering

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS has spent on providing meals for patients; and how many meals were served in each of the last three years.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 15 November 2001
	The national health service spent almost 366 million on the provision of meals for patients in 19992000, the first year when information was collected centrally. Data collection for 200001 is still in progress.
	The NHS provides over 300 million meals each year, detailed data are not collected centrally.

NHS Catering

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the applicants for the national franchise for NHS Catering; and if he will name the successful applicant.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 15 November 2001
	The NHS Plan commits us to examining a franchise option by the end of this year. Any franchise arrangements will be subject to European Union regulation and will require open competition within the Community for any interested party.

Drug Deaths

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many persons died wholly or primarily as a result of the use of (a) alcohol, (b) tobacco, (c) cannabis, (d) heroin and (e) cocaine in the last year for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 15 November 2001
	The information requested is as follows:
	(a) Alcohol. Estimates range between 5,000 and 40,000 deaths per annum in England and Wales, reflecting the wide range of methods of calculation used in many studies.
	(b) Tobacco. It is estimated that smoking causes 120,000 deaths in the United Kingdom each year.
	Source:
	The UK Smoking Epidemic: Deaths in 1995 Health Education Authority.
	(c) Cannabis, (d) heroin and (e) cocaine. Figures published by the Office for National Statistics indicate the number of times the substances are mentioned on death certificates. Figures for these substances are not on a comparable basis to those given for alcohol and tobacco, which are estimates. Figures are given in the table.
	
		Number of deaths where selected substances were mentioned on the death certificateEngland and Wales 1999
		
			All deaths with substance mentioned Deaths where substance was the only one mentioned 
		
		
			 Heroin/morphine(11) 754 575 
			 Cocaine 87 31 
			 Cannabis 7 0 
		
	
	(11) As heroin breaks down in the body into morphine, the latter may be detected at post mortem and recorded on the death certificate
	Source:
	Death related to drug poisoning: England and Wales 199599 Health Statistics Quarterly 09, spring 2001, Office for National Statistics; ONS database of drug-related poisonings

NHS Direct

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the monthly running costs are of NHS Direct.

Hazel Blears: During the first six months of 200102, the average monthly running costs of NHS Direct sites was 6,341,000. A further 1,800,000 was spent each month on running costs to cover centrally procured services, national management and administrative posts, NHS Direct Online, NHS Direct Information Points and other developments and pilots.

NHS Direct

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to establish a system of recording the performance of NHS Direct.

Hazel Blears: An NHS Direct performance management framework is being developed which encompasses the principles of continuous quality improvement and will include qualitative as well as quantitative indicators. This will be implemented following consultation with the National Audit Office.
	The Department collects information on performance and finance from each NHS Direct site in England.

NHS Direct

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many members of staff are employed by NHS Direct; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: As of September 2001, NHS Direct employed around 2,240 whole-time equivalent staff, 75 per cent. of whom have direct caller contact.
	NHS Direct aims to provide patients and the public with the information and advice they need to look after themselves and their families. It gives people the confidence to look after themselves when it is safe to do so and directs them to the right level of service when they need professional help.
	To date NHS Direct has handled over 8,000,000 calls and is currently handling around 100,000 calls per week. Regular satisfaction surveys indicate that over 95 per cent. of callers are satisfied or very satisfied with the service they receive.

Mobile Phone Masts

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the next set of research into safety of mobile phone masts.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 16 November 2001
	In May 2000, the Stewart report on mobile phones and health concluded that there is no general risk to people living near base stations on the basis that exposures are expected to be small. A subsequent measurement programme undertaken by the Radiocommunications Agency (RA) of mobile masts on school premises has confirmed that exposures are a small fraction of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines. Eighty measurements have now been completed and the results are available on the RA web site www.radio.gov.uk.
	The Stewart report also recommended that a substantial research programme should be set up to investigate the potential health effects of mobile phone technology as a whole. This programme has been set up under the direction of an independent scientific management committee who have recently assessed a range of research proposals. The first group of projects is expected to start in the next few weeks. Information about the research is being made available at www.mthr.org.uk.

Nursing Accommodation

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost is per week of (a) keeping a person in hospital and (b) keeping that person in a nursing home.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 19 November 2001
	Based on final national health service trust accounts for 19992000, the latest published figures, the average cost of treating a patient in hospital is estimated to be 233 a day or 1,630 a week. Based on data provided by local councils for 19992000, the latest year for which data are available, the average gross cost of keeping an older person in a nursing home in England is estimated to be 319 a week.

Free Nursing Care (West Chelmsford)

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when those people who were receiving nursing care in the West Chelmsford constituency on 1 October will have had assessments carried out for free nursing care;
	(2)  how many people on 1 October in the West Chelmsford parliamentary constituency were receiving nursing care; and how many of those receiving nursing care had by (a) 1 October and (b) 1 November been assessed to receive free nursing care.

Jacqui Smith: The information is not collected on a constituency basis. However, 68 self-funding nursing home residents have been identified within Chelmsford primary care group and 36 have been identified within Maldon and South Chelmsford primary care trust. Determinations of these residents' registered nursing care will be completed by 31 December 2001.

New Opportunities Fund

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which targeted initiatives are receiving support from the 300 million provided by the New Opportunities Fund in January 1999.

Richard Caborn: I am replying on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health, as my Department sponsors the New Opportunities Fund.
	The 300 million Healthy Living Centre initiative is designed to tackle the underlying causes of ill health such as poor diet, lack of exercise, and lack of access to health and leisure facilities. The majority of applications have been from partnerships between voluntary and public sector organisations and grants have funded new services and, sometimes, new buildings.

New Opportunities Fund

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of the 300 million provided by the New Opportunities Fund in 1999 to support targeted health initiatives has been (a) allocated and (b) spent;
	(2)  what proportion of the 150 million provided by the New Opportunities Fund in September 1999 to support health projects has been (a) allocated and (b) spent.

Richard Caborn: I am replying on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health, as my Department sponsors the New Opportunities Fund.
	I have contacted the New Opportunities Fund to request the information required, and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available, placing copies of my letter in the Libraries of both Houses.

New Opportunities Fund

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what projects are being funded from the 150 million made available from the New Opportunities Fund in September 1999.

Richard Caborn: I am replying on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health, as my Department sponsors the New Opportunities Fund.
	The 150 million Living with Cancer initiative funds projects which aim to improve cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and care. The initiative is intended to complement cancer service policy frameworks in each country.

Small Acute Hospitals (Emergency Admissions)

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the use of information technology and telemedicine links in the maintenance of small acute hospitals which take emergency admissions.

Jacqui Smith: A national programme of information and communication technology demonstrator projects was announced in 2000. Some of these projects are assessing telemedicine applications supporting smaller hospitals and minor injuries units. The projects are due to report in 2002.

Telemedicine

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future commissioning and use of transmitted clinical images as binary code for the purpose of remote diagnosis by specialist consultants.

Jacqui Smith: Information for Health, the information strategy for the national health service published in 1998, required each health authority to consider the potential for telemedicine as part of their annual health improvement programmes. The decision to deploy facilities such as picture and archiving systems would be a local one based on clinical need and cost effectiveness.

Telemedicine

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the future uses of new technology to conduct clinical examinations remotely and to allow specialist consultants to consult with colleagues at another hospital.

Jacqui Smith: A national programme of information and communication technology demonstrator projects was announced in 2000. Many of these projects are assessing telemedicine applications in the context of clinical and cost effectiveness. The projects are due to report in June 2002.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

University Staff

David Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 11 July 2001, Official Report, column 554W, on university staff, 
	(1)  how many of the academic staff reported to have resigned from their universities were re-engaged by their universities (a) for the academic year until 30 September and (b) for a longer period;
	(2)  which universities transferred academic faculty members from a contract of employment to a contract of service between 1 January and 30 March indicating the faculties involved in each case.

Margaret Hodge: This information is not available.

Departmental Expenditure

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list for each (a) area based and (b) other regeneration-related initiative for which her Department is responsible (i) the amount budgeted and (ii) the total expenditure in each financial year for the planned lifetime of each initiative (1) nationally and (2) in the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 19 November 2001
	Department for Education and Skills' programmes contribute to the regeneration of all deprived neighbourhoods by raising the educational attainment, skills and aspirations of children, young people and adults. Levels of funding for the initiatives listed by the Cabinet Office Regional Co-ordination Unit as being the responsibility of the Department for Education and Skills are as follows:
	
		 million (rounded) 
		
			  199899 19992000 200001 200102(12) 200203(13) 
		
		
			 Neighbourhood Support Fund(14)  3 11 19 19 
			 Education Action Zones 10 24 57   
			 Community Champions(15)   1 3 3 
			 Healthy Schools Programme   6 6  
		
	
	(12) Estimated
	(13) Plans
	(14) Neighbourhood Support Fund expenditure for 200304 is planned to be 6,000,000
	(15) The figures for Community Champions in 200102 and 200203 include 1 million from the Home Office Active Community Unit
	Funding for Education Action Zones (EAZ) within the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency is:
	East Cleveland EAZ: DfES grant 102,400 (19992000); 851,900 (200001).
	Middlesbrough (East) EAZ: DfES grant 517,500 (199899); 866,700 (19992000); 803,100 (200001).
	Funding for the Healthy Schools Programme in Middlesbrough was 26,761 (200102).
	It is not possible to provide figures at constituency level for the Neighbourhood Support Fund or Community Champions.
	The Excellence in Cities (EiC) programme is designed to transform secondary education in our cities. The budget is some 200 million in 200102. As the programme comes on stream across all the new EiC authority areas and across all strands this figure is expected to rise to up to 300 million by 200304. In addition, over the life of the programme 124 million of capital investment is being made available. Funding for the three main strands of EiC (learning mentors, learning support units and extended opportunities for gifted and talented children) in Middlesbrough is 1,300,000 (200102). In addition, they have received a capital allocation of 1,200,000 for the new City Learning Centre.
	The Early Excellence Centres (EEC) programme is a national Beacon initiative aimed at developing and disseminating good practice in the provision of integrated early years education, child care and family services. The total investment in the programme from 1997 to 2004 is 45 million. There are currently no EECs in the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills is also responsible for the Children's Fund which is administered by the cross-departmental Children and Young People's unit and for which my right hon. Friend the Minister responsible for Young People has day to day responsibility. She is also responsible for Sure Start together with my hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health which is administered by the cross- departmental Sure Start Unit. The provisional budgeted figures for these programmes are:
	
		 million 
		
			  Children's fund Sure start(16) 
		
		
			 199899   
			 19992000(17)  7 
			 200001(18),(19)  58 
			 200102(19),(20) 65 184 
			 200203(19),(20) 114 449 
		
	
	(16) The figure for Sure Start in 200001 is for estimated outturn. Outturn will be published later this year in line with audited reports
	(17) Outturn
	(18) Estimated Outturn
	(19) From DfEE Departmental Report, published March 2001
	(20) Plans
	Figures are not available for the Children's Fund at the level of the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency. Funding allocation for the Sure Start programme in East Cleveland constituency is: 20,000 (19992000); 799,911 (200001); 570,950 (200002).

Literacy and Numeracy

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many 11-year-olds failed to reach expected levels in (a) Maths and (b) English in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: Provisional figures for the 2001 Key Stage 2 assessments show that 158,000 (25 per cent.) eligible pupils did not achieve a Level 4 or above in the 2001 English Key Stage 2 test. 185,000 (29 per cent.) eligible pupils did not achieve a Level 4 or above in the 2001 mathematics test.

Basic Skills

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many adults have inadequate basic skills.

John Healey: Lord Moser's 1999 Report, A Fresh Start, notes that perhaps as many as 7 million people (roughly one in five adults) in England have difficulties with functional literacy and numeracy. These adults have a wide range of needs, varying from those who cannot read and write or perform the simplest calculations, to those who simply need to brush up rusty skills. We are commissioning a new survey next year to provide an up-to-date assessment of the scale of basic skills need in England.
	The Government have recognised the vital importance to individuals and the economy of improving adult basic skills. The national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills, Skills for Life, was launched in March this year by the Prime Minister. Our target is to improve the literacy and numeracy skills of 750,000 adults by 2004.

Appointments

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many appointments she has made to public bodies since 7 June; and how many are in her gift.

Ivan Lewis: Information about numbers of ministerial appointments to public bodies is included in the Cabinet Office's annual report, Public Bodies. Copies of this are placed in the Library of the House and the report is published on the Cabinet Office's internet website. The next edition of Public Bodies, which will include numbers of appointments at 31 March 2001, will be published around the end of the year.
	Since 7 June 2001 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made one appointment to Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) sponsored by the Department. In total there are 194 NDPB appointments in my right hon. Friend's gift.

Scottish Devolution

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her policy is regarding consultations prior to the publication of proposals involving the transfer of powers to the Scottish Executive by (a) primary legislation and (b) Order in Council.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland on 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 748W.

Children's Fund

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list those authorities receiving allocations this year under the Children's Fund, indicating the value of the allocation in each case.

John Denham: The first 40 first wave Children's Fund areas were announced on 23 January 2001.
	Following are the 40 first wave areas with their total allocation over three years.
	
		Million 
		
			  Areas  
		
		
			 Blackburn 2.7 
			 Blackpool 1.8 
			 Birmingham 18 
			 Bolton 3.6 
			 Bradford 8.1 
			 Bristol 4.2 
			 Camden 2.4 
			 Cornwall 4.8 
			 Doncaster 3.9 
			 Gateshead 2.4 
			 Greenwich 3 
			 Hartlepool 1.5 
			 Hackney 4.2 
			 Halton 1.8 
			 Haringey 3.6 
			 Islington 2.7 
			 Kent 11.1 
			 Kingston Upon Hull 4.5 
			 Knowsley 3 
			 Lancashire 12 
			 Leeds 7.8 
			 Leicester 4.8 
			 Lincolnshire 5.1 
			 Liverpool 8.4 
			 Manchester 8.7 
			 Middlesbrough 2.4 
			 Newham 5.7 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 3.6 
			 Norfolk 6.3 
			 Nottingham 5.1 
			 Oldham 3.3 
			 Portsmouth 2.1 
			 Rochdale 3.3 
			 Salford 3.3 
			 Sandwell 4.2 
			 Sheffield 5.7 
			 Southwark 3.6 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 2.1 
			 Sunderland 3.9 
			 Tower Hamlets 5.1 
		
	
	In each area the local authority has identified a local partnership to manage and develop a Children's Fund proposal. Most of these proposals have now been approved and partnerships are now starting to implement these proposals.

Children's Fund

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of this year's Children's Fund allocation went to local authorities in London.

John Denham: I am pleased to report that 16 per cent. of the first year's Children's Fund allocation went to Children's Fund partnerships in London. This amounts to 10.1 million in 200102.
	The local partnerships that are responsible for planning and developing proposals have submitted plans for preventive services in these areas; most of these have been approved and partnerships are now starting to implement their proposals.

Departmental Publications

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) circulars and (b) consultation documents were issued by her Department in each of the last four years.

Ivan Lewis: The numbers of consultation documents issued are:
	
		
			 Year Number 
		
		
			 1998 148 
			 1999 185 
			 2000 74 
			 2001 (to November) 65 
		
	
	The Department has not issued any documents labelled as circulars since 1999. The figures include numbers for 2000 and 2001 for documents which would have previously fallen into the category of circulars.
	
		
			 Year Number 
		
		
			 1998 29 
			 1999 48 
			 2000 55 
			 2001 (to November) 39

Secondary Education

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has for secondary education in Retford.

Stephen Timms: Our White Paper Schools Achieving Success, sets out an ambitious programme for the transformation of secondary education, building upon our success in the primary phase. We have also introduced the Key Stage 3 National Strategy aimed at raising standards for all 11 to 14-year-old children.
	Turning specifically to Retford, I am aware that the local education authority is consulting upon proposals for the rationalisation of secondary schools in the town. The Government believe that decisions concerning the supply of school places are best taken locallyby the main partners in the provision of education who have a knowledge of local needs.

Student Loans

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people have taken out student loans per year since their inception; what is (a) the average amount per loan, (b) the average amount loaned to each student, (c) the average time taken before repayments begin, (d) the running costs per year of the Student Loans Company and (e) the annual income from repayments of the Student Loans Company.

Margaret Hodge: Not all of the information requested is held centrally or readily available. The information that is available is shown in the following tables.
	
		Student support provision: academic years 199091 to 200001
		
			 Academic years 199091 199192 199293 199394 199495 199596 199697 199798 199899 19992000(21) 
		
		
			  Student loans (United Kingdom)(22),(23)  
			 Number of loans (thousands)(24) 180.2 261.1 345.3 430.4 517.2 559.8 589.6 615.1 659.5 723.6 
			 Value of loans ( million) 69.9 139.2 226.5 316.7 538.8 700.8 877.2 941.0 1,233.5 1,823.0 
			 Average value of loan ()(25) 390 530 660 740 1,040 1,250 1,490 1,530 1,870 2,520 
			 Eligible population (thousands)(26) 643.5 726.6 836.3 917.4 944.4 949.8 945.7 962.9 966.7 982.5 
			 Take up of student loans (percentage) 28 36 41 47 55 59 62 64 68 74 
		
	
	(21) Provisional
	(22) Student loans are available to eligible students normally domiciled in the United Kingdom.
	(23) Student loans are available to most 'home' students on full-time undergraduate HE courses (and students on full-time and part-time postgraduate courses of initial teacher training) who are aged less than 50 at the start of their course. From 19992000, students aged between 50 to 54 at the start of their course (this includes students who started their course after September 1998) can apply for a student loan as long as they can demonstrate to their awarding authority that they plan to return to employment after finishing their course.
	(24) Refers to loans advanced in the target year only, which include those to students in their first, second, third and any subsequent year of their course.
	(25) Rounded to the nearest 10.
	(26) Total number estimated to be eligible for loans. This includes eligible students attending courses entirely at overseas privately funded or NHS institutions. From 199697 nursing students on diploma course with fees paid by the Department of Health bursaries are excluded though some may be eligible for loans if their Department of Health bursaries are reduced through means-testing. Population estimates have been compiled from data provided by HESA, FEFC and from the Student Loans Company.
	Notes:
	1. New student support arrangements were introduced from academic year 199899. New students in 199899 apart from certain specified exceptions received support for maintenance expenditure through means-tested grants (comprising about a quarter of the support available) and non income-assessed student loans (comprising about three quarters of the support available). In 19992000 students who entered higher education from 199899 onwards received support for maintenance expenditure entirely through loans, of which approximately three quarters of the value was non income-assessed. Loans made under these arrangements are repayable on an income contingent basis. The ratio of support for existing loans, ie those who entered higher education up to 199798, was roughly 50 per cent. means-tested grant and 50 per cent. non means-tested loan repayable on a mortgage style basis.
	2. Mandatory awards are awarded by local education authorities (LEAs) in England and Wales to eligible students normally domiciled in their area.
	3. Includes placement year sandwich students.
	4. Excludes placement year sandwich students.
	Source:
	Student Loans Company
	The running costs per year of the Student Loans Company are shown in the table:
	
		 million 
		
			 Academic year Running costs 
		
		
			 199091 13.0 
			 199192 13.7 
			 199293 13.6 
			 199394 18.3 
			 199495 19.7 
			 199596 21.3 
			 199697 22.9 
			 199798 27.7 
			 199899 36.5 
			 19992000 48.6 
		
	
	Source:
	SLC Annual Reports
	
		UK figures: mortgage style loan repayments received from SLC by financial year --  million
		
			 Academic year Running costs 
		
		
			 199091 0 
			 199192 1 
			 199293 5 
			 199394 11 
			 199495 25 
			 199596 52 
			 199697 83 
			 199798 129 
			 199899 132 
			 19992000 131 
			 200001 178 
		
	
	The SLC received payments from borrowers and returns them to the three funding authorities (DfES, Students Awards Agency for Scotland and Department of Education and Learning in Northern Ireland).
	Prior to devolution, repayments were shared on an apportionment basis, derived from estimated student numbers.
	Since June 2000, repayments have been returned to each funding authority on the basis of the borrower's domicile.

Threshold Allowance Awards

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action she will take to ensure that those teachers who crossed the payment threshold as a result of threshold allowance awards in the financial year 200102 will pay the same level of taxation on their increased salary as those who passed the payment threshold in the previous financial year.

Stephen Timms: Because the original timetable for threshold assessment was delayed by the judicial review initiated by the National Union of Teachers, some teachers did not receive their threshold pay rise before April 2001. These teachers will therefore receive both their 200001 threshold back pay and their 200102 threshold pay in the current financial year. In most cases this should not affect their tax position. However a minority might have to pay some higher rate tax as a result. For employees covered by PAYE income is taxable when it is received. This is a fundamental principle of the tax system that cannot be changed for teachers who might find themselves in this position. But we will do all we can to ensure that teachers who apply for threshold assessment this year receive their pay rise by March 2002.

Key Skills

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what measures she is putting into place to ensure that key skills are integrated into all programmes of study in (a) schools, (b) further education colleges and (c) higher education institutions; and what monitoring of these measures is being carried out;
	(2)  what progress her Department has made in the implementation of key skills in (a) schools, (b) further education colleges and (c) higher education institutions;
	(3)  if she will make a statement on the role of key skills in education.

Ivan Lewis: Key skills are important for everyone. They are an integral part of post-16 programmes in schools, colleges and the work-based route. Not only are they valuable in themselves but they also form the building blocks for successful further study and development. We are keen that all students have the opportunity to improve their key skills.
	In schools and colleges, updated key skills qualifications were introduced in September 2000. In higher education institutions, Foundation Degrees and Graduate Apprenticeships have been introduced from this autumn; both include key skills.
	(a) In schools, pre-16, the key skills are addressed through the National Curriculum subjects and GCSE qualifications in English, maths and ICT. Monitoring of achievement is through the National Curriculum assessments and the GCSE results. Post-16, the expectation is that where students have not already achieved A*-C grades in GCSE English, Maths, or ICT their programmes should lead to the formal acquisition of the level 2 key skills qualifications (or suitable proxies). Monitoring is through the achievement data collected by the awarding bodies and QCA.
	(b) The same expectation holds in FE colleges. Monitoring is through the Learning and Skills Council's Individual Student Record and will be included in the Performance Indicators. Also, all achievements will be monitored in local LSC offices via the Provider Review process.
	(c) We are working with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Learning and Teaching Support Network (LTSN) on arrangements to embed work-related skills (including key skills) more widely across the HE system. Monitoring will be addressed as part of this process. Key skills are recognised in the revised UCAS tariff that is being used by students applying this year for entry to higher education in 2002. The tariff is subject to normal monitoring and review arrangements by UCAS.

Key Skills

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the new funding arrangements for post-16 provision reflects the Government's commitment to key skills.

Ivan Lewis: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has been asked to ensure that its funding regime supports a more tailored use of key skills, reflecting individual students' goals and needs. In work-based learning, the funding of key skills is included in the overall funding of the Modern Apprenticeship programme. In colleges, the level of funding available for key skills and the entitlement package is not affected by this improved flexibility; it is no longer dependent upon a fixed pattern of key skills provision and achievement. The LSC will take over post-16 funding of schools from April 2002.

PFI Schemes

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many local education authorities have had PFI school schemes approved in the first four tranches; which ones are within their approved timed programme; and how many months of delay have elapsed for those which are behind schedule.

Stephen Timms: 72 local education authorities have now had a total of 80 PFI projects approved. This includes 36 projects which have already signed, 24 projects which have already been approved by the Treasury-chaired Project Review Group and 20 projects which have been approved provisionally by this Department.
	We do not impose a timed programme on local education authorities, other than to indicate the financial year in which we expect contract signature to take place. Contract negotiations and building schedules are a matter for local education authorities and private contractors to determine. We are aware of no serious delays in opening PFI schools against locally agreed schedules.

PFI Schemes

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will publish the names of the successful local education authorities for PFI schemes in the next financial year.

Stephen Timms: Local education authorities that were successful in gaining provisional approval for projects expecting to sign in the next financial year, that is 200203, were announced in March 2001. The closing date for the submission of bids for projects hoping to sign in 200304 is 17 December 2001. All bids received by that date will be assessed against published criteria, and announcements on those successful in gaining provisional approval from this Department are expected to be made in March 2002.

Graduate Training Scheme

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many of the schools which took part in the graduate training scheme for teachers had less than 25 per cent. gain five A* to C grades at GCSE in (a) 1998, (b) 1999, (c) 2000 and (d) 2001.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected centrally.

Tuition Fees

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take steps to allow tuition fees to be deductible against tax.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 15 November 2001
	In England, contributions towards tuition fees for home and EU full-time undergraduate students are income assessed. Around 50 per cent. of students are not required to make any contribution at all; 15 per cent. make a partial contribution, and 35 per cent. make the full contribution. The cost of higher education tuition is already heavily subsidised by the Government, both through the means testing system and because fees only meet a quarter of the average cost of a course. In these circumstances a further subsidy allowing tuition fee contributions to be deductible against tax would not be appropriate. Nevertheless, we have announced a review of student funding. A wide range of options is being considered and we will be consulting on any proposals that emerge.

Schools (Wycombe)

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of pupils of each ethnic group in the Wycombe constituency attend (a) grammar and (b) upper schools.

Stephen Timms: The number and proportion of children in maintained secondary schools within Wycombe parliamentary constituency by each ethnic group is shown in the table.
	
		Number and proportion of children in maintained secondary schools in Wycombe constituency by ethnic group, January 2001
		
			 Ethnic group Proportion of pupils in grammar schools (Percentage) Proportion of pupils in other secondary schools (Percentage) Total number of pupils in maintained secondary schools 
		
		
			 White 70.6 29.4 5,866 
			 Black Caribbean heritage 18.8 81.3 192 
			 Black African heritage 34.9 65.1 43 
			 Black other 36.2 63.8 58 
			 Indian 82.6 17.4 121 
			 Pakistani 22.6 77.4 939 
			 Bangladeshi 46.7 53.3 15 
			 Chinese and any other minority ethnic group 51.9 48.1 374 
			 Total number of pupils classified by ethnic origin 62.0 38.0 7,608

School Cleanliness

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 5 November 2001, Official Report, column 46W, on school cleanliness, what steps she will take to ensure that local education authorities and school governing bodies fulfil their responsibilities in maintaining cleanliness in schools.

Stephen Timms: None. I am content to leave this matter with the local education authorities and governing bodies responsible.

Public-private Partnership

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the projects in her Department which have been considered as potential public-private partnerships since 1997 which have not been undertaken because the public sector comparator had a lower net present value than the public-private partnership proposed; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 13 November 2001, Official Report, column 607W.
	Schools PFI projects are not formally approved until a full Outline Business Case (OBC) has been submitted to the Treasury-chaired Project Review Group. This OBC must include a Public Sector Comparator (PSC) and it is a condition of approval that the proposed PFI solution must demonstrate better value for money than the PSC.

Ministerial Visit (Brazil)

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what was the (a) itinerary and (b) cost of the visit of the Schools Minister to Brazil on 6 and 7 December 2000.

Ivan Lewis: As the Schools Minister did not visit Brazil on 6th and 7th December 2000 or on any other date, there was no itinerary and no cost.

Class Sizes

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many infants are taught in classes with more than 30 pupils.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 16 November 2001
	For infant classes taught by one teacher in September 2001, an estimated 8,000 children (0.5 per cent.) were in classes of 31 or more children after allowing for additional pupils scheduled to enter school during the early part of the autumn.
	Schools reported nearly 63,300 infant classes taught by one teacher in September 2001. Of these classes, just 239 contained 31 or more pupils. In January 1998 nearly 485,000 infants (29 per cent.) were in classes of 31 or more.

Class Sizes

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information she (a) routinely collects and (b) has collected since 1 September on infant class sizes.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 16 November 2001
	Information about class sizes has been collected from maintained primary and secondary schools as part of the Annual Schools Census in January for over 20 years. In order to provide a true representation of the sizes of classes experienced by children, each school is randomly allocated a specific time on the census day at which class sizes should be reported. The current collection asks for the number of pupils, teachers and teaching assistants in the class at the appropriate time and also for its Key Stage and National Curriculum Year Group. The activity in which the class is engaged is also requested.
	The September Class Size Count is a separate collection started in 1998, introduced to monitor class sizes at Key Stage one. The statistical method used is the same as in the January Census, but, in order to lessen the burden on schools, information is only collected from primary schools and about classes where the majority of children will reach the appropriate age during the school year. The information required about each class in September 2001 was the number of pupils, teachers and teaching assistants and the activity in which the class was engaged and, for classes of 31 or more, the number of excepted pupils.

Higher Education

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the percentage of school leavers (a) nationally and (b) in the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency who have entered higher education in each of the last four years.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 19 November 2001
	Figures for the number of school leavers who go on to higher education are not collated centrally on a constituency basis. The available figures for Great Britain, showing the proportion of under 21 year olds who enter higher education for the first time, are given in the table. There was an increase in the index in 199798 related partly to changes in the funding arrangements for higher education, with students choosing to enter HE rather than wait until 199899. There was a corresponding reduction in 199899 before the entry rates started to increase again in 19992000. Between 199798 and 200001, total HE students in English universities and colleges rose by 83,000.
	
		Age participation index (API)(27) for Great Britain -- Percentage
		
			   API 
		
		
			 199798 33 
			 199899 31 
			 19992000 32 
			 200001(28) 3234 
		
	
	(27) The API is defined as the number of GB domiciled initial entrants to full-time and sandwich undergraduate HE aged under 21, expressed as a percentage of the average number of 18 and 19 year olds in the population.
	(28) Projected: final data on initial entrants are not yet available.

TREASURY

Tax Receipts

Michael Jack: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will make a statement giving the reasons for not publishing monthly estimates of all forms of tax receipts;
	(2)  if he will publish the monthly breakdown of the tax receipts estimates contained in the most recent financial statement and Budget report.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to my reply of 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 775W, the answer the Financial Secretary gave him on 20 July under cover of a letter and the letter which the Economic Secretary sent him on 27 September (copies of both of which have been placed in the Library of the House).

Fuel Smuggling

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the volume of motor fuel products smuggled into Northern Ireland in each year since 1997.

Paul Boateng: HM Customs and Excise do not have estimates for the amount of fuel entering Northern Ireland as a result of cross-border smuggling. They have assessed the total revenue lost (excise and VAT) through cross-border shopping and smuggling of road fuels in Northern Ireland as about 100 million in 1998. Updated estimates will be presented in the forthcoming pre-Budget report.

Fuel Smuggling

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings have been held between (a) Ministers and (b) officials and their Irish counterparts to discuss the smuggling of petroleum products into Northern Ireland since May; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: I recently visited the Revenue Commissioner in the Republic of Ireland and, in the absence of the appropriate Minister, had a very productive meeting with the Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners.
	UK Customs enjoy a very close relationship with the Revenue Commissioners and the Criminal Assets Bureau in the Republic of Ireland. UK Customs and the Revenue Commissioners of the Republic of Ireland have a Memorandum of Understanding designed to increase the effectiveness of the co-operation. Officials meet on a regular and very frequent basis at policy and operational levels.

Fuel Smuggling

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many vehicles have been impounded by HM Customs in each year since 1997 for alleged smuggling of petroleum products; and what was the tonnage of fuel carried.

Paul Boateng: Customs records of the number of vehicles seized do not disaggregate between the nature of the offences involved in each case. I regret, therefore, that this information is not available.

Fuel Smuggling

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he is taking to tackle cross- border smuggling of petroleum products; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: Customs believe the main risk from cross-border smuggling of petroleum products is across the land boundary between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, and since September 2000 have increased their resources devoted to tackling oils fraud in Northern Ireland by a factor of four.
	Customs believe that the threat from cross-border smuggling of petroleum products is limited on the mainland. This assessment has been regularly monitored by a series of joint exercises run by Customs and the police which to date have resulted in limited seizures of illicit fuel.

Fuel Smuggling

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many successful prosecutions there have been in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997 for smuggling petroleum products into Northern Ireland.

Paul Boateng: The number of successful prosecutions in Northern Ireland for oils smuggling is as follows:
	
		
			 Year Number 
		
		
			 199697 0 
			 199798 1 
			 199899 3 
			 19992000 3 
			 200001 1

Inland Revenue/ Customs and Excise Research Programme

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the (a) subjects and (b) terms of reference of the first two research studies undertaken by the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise Joint Compliance Costs Research Programme.

Dawn Primarolo: The first two research studies undertaken by the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise in the Joint Compliance Costs Research Programme are: (i) a study of the compliance costs of corporation tax for UK businesses; and (ii) a study of the compliance costs of VAT for UK businesses. The terms of reference of the studies were covered by the contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Communities (OJEC) submitted on 26 May 2000.

Railtrack

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions in the House on 13 November 2001, Official Report, column 724, if he will list the dates, up to one month prior to 5 October, when he sent advice to the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions.

Andrew Smith: Treasury Ministers have discussions with a variety of people, including colleagues in other Departments, on a wide range of subjects on a regular basis.

Railtrack

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on which dates, up to one month prior to 5 October, he sent advice to the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, that funds were not likely to be approved to maintain the (a) viability and (b) liquidity of Railtrack plc.

Andrew Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Transport, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions to the right hon. and learned Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham (Mr. Hogg) on 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 735W.

Railtrack

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date the Office for National Statistics was asked to examine the accounting treatment of the successor organisation to Railtrack; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Smith: The Office for National Statistics was asked to examine the accounting treatment of a possible successor organisation to Railtrack on Wednesday 3 October.

Railtrack

Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the briefings his officials have given to newspapers on Railtrack in the last seven days.

Andrew Smith: The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions is responsible for railways policy.

Railtrack

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he authorised the payment of 162 million from the Strategic Rail Authority to Railtrack on 1 October.

Andrew Smith: The timing of payments to Railtrack via the SRA is a matter for the SRA and the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions.

Railtrack

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with the Governor of the Bank of England on the effects of and matters arising from the administration of Railtrack.

Andrew Smith: Treasury Ministers have discussions with a wide variety of people on a wide range of subjects on a regular basis.

Corporation Tax

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total corporation tax receipts were in the last financial year; and what receipts had been expected.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is set in the Office for National Statistics publication Financial Statistics, a copy of which is in the Library. The latest forecasts were published in Budget 2000 and previously in the pre-Budget report 2000.

Consumer Debt

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total amount of non-mortgage consumer debt was in real terms in each year since 1992.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. Howard Flight, dated 20 November 2001
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question about the total amount of non-mortgage consumer debt in real terms for each year since 1992. I am replying in his absence. (15936)
	The table below shows non-mortgage consumer debt in nominal terms, which is published in Table 3.2B of Financial Statistics, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons library. The Office for National Statistics does not publish data on non-mortgage debt in real terms. Also included is a time series which shows nominal non-mortgage debt deflated by the retail price index excluding mortgage interest payments (RPIX).
	
		
			 Year Nominal non-mortgage consumer debt (VZRI) ( million) RPIX (CHMK) 'Real' non-mortgage consumer debt ( million) 
		
		
			 1992 53,188 136.4 38,994 
			 1993 52,974 140.5 37,704 
			 1994 57,617 143.8 40,067 
			 1995 67,624 147.9 45,723 
			 1996 76,859 152.3 50,466 
			 1997 87,497 156.5 55,909 
			 1998 101,659 160.6 63,300 
			 1999 114,872 164.3 69,916 
			 2000 126,733 167.7 75,571

Census

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if the Office for National Statistics authorised the use of Government-held personal records about (a) asylum seekers and (b) other categories of people during compilation of the 2001 census returns;
	(2)  what guidance was given by the Office for National Statistics to census enumerators about access to information held by the Government about individuals;
	(3)  what his policy is on the rules governing the access of census enumerators to individual personal information held by Government Departments.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Lidington, dated 20 November 2001
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions to the Chancellor of the Exchequer asking:
	1. whether the Office for National Statistics authorised the case of government-held personal records held about (a) asylum seekers and (b) other categories of people during the compilation of the 2001 Census returns (16336);
	2. what his policy on the rules governing the access of census enumerators to individual personal information held by government departments (16337); and
	3. what guidance was given by the Office for National Statistics to census enumerators about access to information held by the Government about individuals (16338).
	In response to the first question you will want to be aware that the Registrar General is authorised by the terms of the Census Act 1920 to conduct a census in England and Wales.
	The Census Order 2000 (Statutory Instrument 2000 no. 744) made under Section 1 of the Census Act, prescribes the persons by whom and in respect of whom the returns are to be made. Returns were required to be made in respect to all persons who are usually resident in England and Wales. For the purpose of the 2001 Census a person was regarded as being 'usually resident' in England and Wales if he or she was present at an address in England and Wales on census night and had no other usual address in England and Wales or elsewhere. This would, therefore, generally include asylum seekers, and thus the Census Act imposed a duty on me to collect returns from such people.
	The Census Regulations 2000 (Statutory Instrument 2000 no. 1473), made under section 3 of the Act, empowered the making of any such arrangements as the Registrar General thinks fit for the collection of the particulars prescribed by the Census Order to be stated in the returns.
	For this purpose, the Registrar General was able to make arrangements where necessary to acquire information from official sources on the location of accommodation that housed asylum seekers and on other population sub-groups (such as rough sleepers), which would enable forms to be delivered and collected in respect of such people who might not otherwise be aware of their statutory duty to make a return or have access to the forms.
	In all cases the provision of such information would have been a matter for the data custodian of that information. The subsequent uses of the information for Census purposes were within the terms of the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998, and the strict confidentiality provisions of the Census Act as amended by the Census (Confidentiality) Act 1991.
	In answer to your second and third questions, there were no provisions or arrangements made in the conduct of the 2001 Census for access to any individual personal information held by Government departments or agencies by census enumerators, and consequently no guidance given to enumerators on any such access.

Pensioners

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people of pensionable age there are in the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from John Pullinger to Dr. Ashok Kumar, dated 20 November 2001
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question concerning how many people of pensionable age there are in Middlesborough South and East Cleveland constituency. I am replying in his absence. (16436)
	ONS does not produce population estimates on parliamentary constituency boundaries. The smallest area level for which we produce population estimates is for local authorities.
	Mid 2000 estimates of the number of people of pensionable age in local authority areas are available in table 8 on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme population/PENo3/PENo3 v3.pdf.

Fuel Taxation

Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what taxes and excise duty are payable on fuels used by providers of internal UK passenger services by (a) bus, (b) coach, (c) local train, electrically powered, (d) local train, diesel powered, (e) ferry, (f) hovercraft and (g) aeroplane.

Paul Boateng: holding answer 12 November 2001
	The rates of excise duty on ultra-low sulphur diesel, liquid petroleum gas, gas oil aviation turbine fuel and aviation gasolinethe fuels generally used by providers of passenger services in the UKare set out in the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979.
	As far as VAT is concerned, passenger transport provided in any vehicle, ship or aircraft that has 10 or more passenger seats, including the driver (or pilot, captain etc.) is zero-rated. Transport provided in such vehicles, ships or aircraft with fewer than 10 passengers, including the driver etc., is standard-rated.

Corporate Tax

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in the review of corporate tax treatment of substantial shareholdings and intangible assets for large companies.

Dawn Primarolo: Good progress continues to be made on these reviews.

Company Leases

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason there is not a public sector accounting counterpart to the Statement of Standard Accounting Practice 21 concerning the accounting treatment of leases that UK companies enter into; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Smith: Public sector accounting standards require the application of Statement of Standard Accounting Practice (SSAP) 21.

Capital Assets

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if capital assets where the ownership at the end of the contract reverts to the public sector are taken into account when calculating public sector (a) net investment and (b) net worth; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Smith: The treatment of this type of contract will depend on how it is classified by the Department's accountants and the National Audit Office. If it is classified as a finance lease, it is included in net investment and net worth. If it is classified as an operating lease, it will not be. The decision will depend on whether it is the private or public sector which bears most of the economic risks and rewards associated with the asset.

VAT

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total VAT receipts from the corporate sector were for the last financial year; and what receipts had been anticipated.

Paul Boateng: Total Value Added Tax receipts are shown in the Office for National Statistics publication Financial Statistics. The forecast can be found in the Financial Statement and Budget Report 2000.

Small and Medium Sized Enterprises

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of (a) debt investment and (b) equity investment in SMEs on growth in employment and output.

Paul Boateng: Both debt and equity investment are essential for small firms if they are to grow and make a full contribution to the UK economy. The Government are stimulating growth in SME investment by reducing the tax burden for SMEs, and increasing the supply of finance through measures such as provision of small firms' loan guarantees and venture capital finance.

Climate Change Levy

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to exempt coal mine methane generated power from the climate change levy.

Paul Boateng: The Government are at present discussing with the Association of Coal Mine Methane Operators (ACMMO) the treatment of electricity generated from coal mine methane under the climate change levy there are currently no plans to exempt coal mine methane generated power but the Chancellor of the Exchequer makes these decisions on a Budget by Budget basis.

Mortgages

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Bank of England has made representations to UK mortgage lenders on current average mortgage income multiples.

Ruth Kelly: Responsibility for the prudential regulation of banks and building societies now rests with the Financial Services Authority (FSA). In addition, the FSA is taking on responsibility for regulating mortgage lending. Both the Government and FSA consider it important that mortgage borrowers should not be exploited by lending in circumstances where they are self-evidently unable to repay through income but have no alternative repayment plans. The FSA is therefore setting rules in respect of responsible lending. Lenders will be required to show that they have taken account of a borrower's ability to repay the loan before entering into a regulated mortgage contract with him.

European Commission Proposals

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the proposals outlined on 12 November by the President of the European Commission on (a) EU budgetary powers and (b) the growth and stability pact.

Ruth Kelly: Mr. Prodi's speech is part of the on-going debate on the future of Europe.
	On budgetary issues the Government's position is clear. At ECOFIN on 10 July several Finance Ministers, including my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, rejected ideas for a euro tax. It has been made clear that the Government do not support, and have no plans to impose, a harmonised tax on their citizens. Any proposal for a euro tax would have to be agreed unanimously by member states.
	On fiscal policies in the EU, the Government will assess carefully any proposals for a further Code of Conduct one they are presented by the European Commission.

Small Businesses

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on changes to insurance policies and premiums for small businesses since 11 September.

Ruth Kelly: We receive representations on a wide range of subjects from a variety of organisations and individuals.

Aggregates Levy

Ian Cawsey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the aggregates levy on the rural economy.

Paul Boateng: holding answer 19 November 2001
	The rural economy will benefit from the levy funded 0.1 percentage point reduction in employers' national insurance contributions and the new 35 million Sustainability Fund which deliver local environmental benefits to areas subject to the environmental costs of aggregates extraction.

Aggregates Levy

Ian Cawsey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assistance he will provide to those whose employment is affected as a result of the aggregates levy.

Paul Boateng: holding answer 19 November 2001
	The aggregates levy receipts will be returned to business, principally through a 0.1 percentage point reduction in employers' national insurance contributions, which will have a positive effect on employment, as will the 35 million levy funded Sustainability Fund.

Financial Services Compensation Scheme

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if self-insurance by companies is specifically excluded from the financial services compensation scheme; and if claimants can be denied fall back compensation granted from the financial services compensation scheme where the employer and insurer are insolvent.

Ruth Kelly: The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) is set up to provide compensation if an FSA regulated financial services firmbank, building society, investment firm or insurercollapses. The FSCS is funded by these firms. The FSCS does not, therefore, cover claims against insolvent employers who did not hold insurance with a regulated insurer.

Equitable Life

Christopher Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he received the formal notice from the Parliamentary Ombudsman of his intention to inquire into the regulation of Equitable Life; when he responded; and if he will place the correspondence in the Library.

Ruth Kelly: The formal notice was received on 30 October and the Treasury will respond to it shortly.
	Departments' responses to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration are an important preliminary to his investigations, which are conducted in private. It would not, therefore, be appropriate to place the correspondence concerned in the Library.

Correspondence

Sue Doughty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letter of 12 October from the hon. Member for Guildford.

Paul Boateng: I have done so.